Ruby Bomgaars

Ruby (Kyle) Bomgaars, daughter of Verna and Knut Kyle, passed away quietly at Jenny Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on May 24, 2012.

Ruby was born on February 25, 1932, in Rock Rapids, Iowa. She received her education in Rock Rapids, graduating from Rock Rapids High School in 1950. After high school, Ruby went to work as a telephone operator for Northwestern Bell. She continued to work for Northwestern Bell/USWest for over 30 years.

Ruby met the love of her life, Arv Bomgaars, at the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park, Iowa. They were married on May 27th, 1951, and enjoyed over 40 years of marriage. During their life together, Ruby and Arv raised four children: Steve, Scott, Sandra and Stacey. As a couple, Ruby and Arv enjoyed golfing, Hawkeye games, traveling, time with their children and the company of their seven grandchildren. Shortly after Arv's death, Ruby relocated to Council Bluffs from Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Her retirement years were spent volunteering at elementary schools in Council Bluffs, spending time with her children and grandchildren, playing Bridge, attending Red Hat outings, rooting for the Iowa Hawkeye football team and talking endlessly on the telephone with her family and friends! In addition, she always looked forward to escaping the cold Iowa winters by spending a few weeks with her sister, Joan and brother-in-law, Harvey, in sunny Arizona.

Ruby was preceded in death by her husband, Arv Bomgaars; her parents, Knut and Verna Kyle; and her brothers, Loran Kyle and Howard 'Bud' Kyle.

She is survived by her children, Steve (Marti) Bomgaars, of Spencer, Iowa, Scott (Lisa) Bomgaars, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sandra Bomgaars, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Stacey (Mark) Lang, of McHenry, Ill.; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; 1 sister, Joan (Harvey) Schmidt; several nieces and nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Private Celebration of Life service will be held on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring Bayliss Park Chapel. Ruby will be laid to rest in the Spencer, Iowa Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Jennie Edmundson Hospital Foundation or St. Jude's Children Hospital.


This obituary was originally published in The Daily Nonpareil.