Ruthie Sampson

Shungnak resident Ruthie Lee Tatqavin (Ramoth) Sampson, 54, died of a massive stroke on Nov. 16, 2008, at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage.
Visitation was at Evergreen Memorial Chapel on Nov. 19 from 3-4:30 p.m. A service was Nov. 20 at Shungnak Friends Church. The officiants were Roland Booth Sr. and Lowell Sage Jr. An additional service will be at 1 p.m. today at Selawik Friends Church. Pallbearers include Jeffrey Ramoth, Clyde Ramoth Sr., Ralph Ramoth Jr., Kevin Kaiser, Todd Ramoth, Keoni Kotch, Samuel Sampson, Gene Sampson, Walter Sampson and Frank Sampson. Ruthie will be laid to rest at Utauraq Camp (near Selawik).
Ruthie was born Oct. 18, 1954, in Selawik. She was a professional linguist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She earned an Associate of Arts degree at Ellensburg College in Ellensburg, Wash. She worked for the NANA Regional Corp. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Chukchi Campus for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District and KOTZ Radio. She has been a resident of Alaska since birth in Selawik. She lived in Anchorage; Dillingham; Okinawa, Japan; Ellensburg, Wash.; Fairbanks; Kotzebue; Sivuniigvik Camp; Utauraq Camp and Shungnak.
She was a member of the Friends Church where she served on the ministry and council. She also was a member of the National Association for Bilingual Education and was an Aqqaluk Trust Board director. In addition she volunteered for numerous community services including the Big Dipper Community, the Mother's Club, the National Association for Bilingual Education, the Inupiaq Language Commission, as a recording clerk for Alaska Yearly Meeting (AYM), for Nikaitchaut Illisagvik, for the New Testament Bible Translation-Wycliffe, for reading and translation of obituaries, for Inupiat Illitqusrait, as Culture Bearer, for the OTZ Board of Directors and Aqqaluk Trust Board of Trustees and as a volunteer translator. Ruthie also received special awards that included the National Honor Society, dean's list, National Association for Bilingual Educator of the Year and Shareholder of the Year (NANA).
She loved camping, berry picking, subsistence fishing, Alaska Native art, reading and visiting with elders.
Her family wrote, "Ruthie was a loving, caring, humble, strong prayer warrior. She was the heart of the family. Because of her devotion and dedication, our family is where we are today. She welcomed and fed every person that came to her home. To her, home was out in the country listening to birds and picking flowers. This was where she was most at peace. She loved her entire family with all her heart. She had a special place for her Aana Dora Ballot and her father, Ralph. She is now with her best friends Bunny Wells and Helen Davis.
Survivors include her husband, Luke Sampson; sons, Conan, Clifford and Charles Sampson; daughter, Mildred Sampson; father, Ralph Ramoth Sr.; mother, Emma Ramoth; daughters-in-law, Tracy Sampson, and Karen Lie; grandsons, Andrew Lie, and Trent and Carson Sampson; granddaughters, Mary Lie, Ruthie M., Emma, Shelby, and Chavis Sampson; sisters, Diana Ramoth, Martha Ramoth-Schindler, Elaine Ramoth-Farragi, and Loretta Ramoth; and brothers, Jeffrey, Clyde Sr., Ralph Jr. and Todd Ramoth, and Kevin Kaiser, Sr.
She was preceded in death by her grandmothers, Dora Ballot, Topsy Ramoth and Julia Loon; grandfathers, Frank Ramoth, and Walter Ballot; in-laws, Mildred and Steven Sampson; brother-in-law, Wilbur Sampson; and considered as a sister, Harriet "Doots" Clark.
Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel.