Ruth Eileen Sink

1930 - 2018

Ruth Eileen (Jones) Sink

Malta - Our beautiful Mother, grandmother, great grandma (GG) Ruth Sink was granted her angel wings on March 23, 2018 after a courageous battle with dementia.

Ruth was born June 19, 1930 to parents Frank Aaron and Sarah Ethel (Breeden) Jones south of Malta. When Ruth was about to be born the Doctor was sent for, he arrived and got hung up looking at a huge rattlesnake, by the outhouse, with Frank. As the story goes, Sarah delivered Ruth by herself while the Doctor debated with Frank how gosh darn big that snake was. Hearing a baby cry the two immediately went to the house. The Doctor said, "Well now, how we doing?" Sarah looked him in the eye and said, "I don't know how you are doing but I am fine and so is the baby, you might as well go on back to town."

When Ruth was eight her father died leaving her mother to raise four children, Bob age 10, Ruth age 8, Audrey age 4 and Alice, a newborn, by herself. Shortly thereafter, Sarah was hired by Willard Moore, whose wife died, to take care of his children and his home. A year later Sarah and Willard married, Ruth gained a loving step Dad, three big brothers, Jim, John and Max along with two more sisters, Ruth and Margaret. Down the road a much loved, baby brother, Billy, was added to the family. Ruth attended school with her brothers and sisters at a rural school. Summers were filled with a lot of hard work, helping pick rock in the fields, feeding animals and helping her mother with the house work, laundry and cooking. After her schooling, Ruth relocated to Malta and started work in the Arcade Café. A good-looking redhead cowboy, came in and ordered pie and coffee, the rest was history. Ruth and Harland married at Havre and started life north of Whitewater on one of the last homesteads in Montana. Steve, Don, Karren and Marie (Ree) were added to the family along with a couple cows, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats. It was hard making a living on a dry land farm, eventually the farm was sold and the family moved to Choteau for a couple years and then bought the Park Café in Fairfield. Ruth was known as a hard worker, a tremendous cook, baker, her pies and cinnamon rolls were historic. Not only did she work full time she always seemed to have time to make beautiful quilts by hand for her whole family, sew school ctothes, give haircuts to her kids and half the neighborhood kids. She could build forts, start wicked water fights, play baseball, patch up scrapes, fix our bikes and all with the best attitude and a huge smile on her face. She truly was a fun and very loved Mom. Harland died in 2005 and Ruth decided to move to Shelby near her youngest daughter, Ree. She quickly made friends and was known to many people in Shelby as the lady that walked every morning, then stopped into the Griddle Café to catch up with friends and read the Great Falls Tribune. While attending church, Ruth made a wonderful friend to visit with, George Fujimoto. They had the most fun cruising around checking out flowers in Shelby yards, sharing meals, laughing and enjoying each other's company. George was her true friend until he passed a couple years ago. The last few years Mom was slipping further away from us as the Dementia took its toll, and though she didn't remember us at the end, we will certainly always remember her.

Ruth is survived by son Steve (Karen) Sink, their sons Kevin and Jesse Sink of Fairfield. Daughter Karren (Keith) Becker of Great Falls, daughter Marie (Ree), Joe Hemmer of Shelby, their children Sarah (Jason) Nelson, great grandchildren Josiah and Aubrielle (Nelson) of Wichita Falls, TX. Grandson Scott (Anna) Hemmer and their children, Gracie, Moira and Matthias of Shelby. Granddaughter Lisa (Daniel) Elijah of Oklahoma City, OK. Nephew Chuck Henry of Tacoma, WA. Nephews Bob Jones of OR. and Nephew Tom of Las Vegas and their families. Nieces JoAnn Stout of MT. and Anna Ferrell of CA. Sister in law, Annaliese Moore and her family of Malta.

She was predeceased by her mother and father, husband Harland, infant son Larry, son Don Sink, who died at age 15, and infant grandson Patrick Hemmer. She was also predeceased by brothers Bob, Billy Jim, John, Max, and sisters Audrey, Alice, Margaret and Ruth (Toots).

A memorial celebration will be held July 23, 2018 at Fairfield.