Ruby Marie Paczkowski

Ruby Marie Paczkowski passed away on January 19 just two days after her 97th birthday. Ruby was the fourth of seven children born to George and Nellie Overbeck on the family farm near Glenfield, ND. Ruby grew up on the farm; farming was in her blood. She loved everything about it especially tending cattle and riding horses bareback. She did not shy away from hard work. Ruby attended and graduated from Glenfield School in 1933. She was part of a championship basketball team and her favorite school story was Backwards Day where everyone wore their clothes backwards for the day. This was especially interesting for the boys who had to wear their coveralls backwards. She met Joe Paczkowski, a Kensel boy, while roller-skating at Red Willow Lake. They married in 1940 and started farming south of Glenfield. Joe and Ruby had five children while they lived on the farm. Fires and floods drove them off the farm and into Jamestown in 1955. A few years later, Ruby started her nursing career at the old Trinity Hospital and later at the North Dakota Hospital where she worked in the Medical Building for a lot years before retiring in 1983. When Joe passed away on January 18, 1987, Ruby continued to live in their home at the end of Main Street in Jamestown to the right of the Nickeus Park foot bridge. She liked watching all the park activity from her backyard but hated July 4 when people would throw fireworks off the bridge right outside her bedroom window all hours of the night. Ever the farmer, Ruby took pride in keeping a beautiful yard and garden. Her family enjoyed many picnics in her backyard. Ruby's maple trees exploded with color in the fall and where truly a sight to behold. Ruby was able to stay in her home into her 90's but when failing health prohibited her from doing the things she enjoyed, she moved to independent living and then assisted living in Jamestown and finally to Rosewood on Broadway nursing home in Fargo where she passed away. In addition to her husband and all her siblings, Ruby is preceded in death by granddaughter Renee (Delano). Ruby is survived by her children; Sharon O'Haver (Dave)-Carmel, IN, Darwin (Darlene)-Eloy, AZ, Sandra Buhrt (Mike)-Milford, IN, Delano (Candice)-Fargo, ND and Carol Bischoff (Rod)-Helena, MT. Survivors also include grandchildren Brian, Rhonda, Kim, Rick, Mollie, Tom and Claire and a growing corral of great-grandchildren: Kate, Elle, Eddie, Crew, Ila, Tivi, Colton and Klein.

Funeral Mass: 10:00 AM, Saturday, January 24, at St. James Basilica, Jamestown, ND with Monsignor Jeffrey L. Wald, celebrant.
Visitation: 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Friday, January 23 at Eddy Funeral Chapel.
Vigil Service: 7:00 PM, Friday, January 23 at Eddy Funeral Chapel.
Burial: Calvary Cemetery, Jamestown, ND

Online guest book: www.eddyfuneralhome.com

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