Ruby McKnight Nordlund

Ruby Mattie Dill McKnight Nordlund was lifted up to be with her heavenly Father on Friday November 18, 2011 at the age of 88 years, 3 months, & 20 days at her home at Off Broadway Assisted Living in Broken Bow, NE, with her husband by her side. Ruby was born July 29, 1923 in Lexington, NE to Luther Harrison & Nellie Mattie (Richards) Dill. A celebration of her life will be held at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow Wednesday, November 23, 2011, @ 10:00am. The Loup City Baptist Church & Broken Bow Berean Church will host a luncheon following @ Broken Bow Berean Church. Graveside services will resume at Rose Hill Cemetery in Callaway, NE @ 2pm. Pastor Del Unruh, Loup City Baptist Church will officiate. Ruby attended school in Ansley, Callaway, & Stapleton, NE. She accepted the Lord as her personal savior at an early age. She met her husband Edward in Callaway & they were united in marriage on March 2, 1942. They lived & worked on farms in the Callaway & Broken Bow areas. After the death of their precious middle son, Gary in 1965, they moved their family to Sargent & became "city dwellers". They purchased their home on Main Street in 1967 & raised their family there. To the union of Edward & Ruby, 3 sons were born. Edward H. Jr., Gary Lee, & David Lynn. Gary was taken from his earthly home in August, 1965, as Ruby was just starting her supposed "short term" job as the head cook @ Sargent Public School. That endeavor, which was meant to fund Gary's desire to attend college in two years, turned into a career of making cinnamon & peanut butter rolls, chicken & noodles, & homemade goodness to generations of children until her retirement in 1991 to care for her ailing husband. In addition to her sons, in January 1971 Ruby & Edward welcomed two of Ruby's nieces, Marina Ruth & Ruby "Nellene" into their home & loved & raised them as their own. Both the boys & girls were a blessing to them. Ruby was always proud to exclaim that she had children in school for 36 straight years. After 53 years together, Edward preceded her in death November 6, 1995. Ruby remarried a lifelong friend, Stanley Nordlund May 25, 2003 & they resided in Loup City, NE until moving to Off Broadway in the summer of 2010. Ruby & Stanley loved going on rides in the country & going to visit family & friends. They especially enjoyed when their family came to visit. Ruby enjoyed cooking for everyone. Ruby's accomplishments include Sargent Church of Christ member, Ruth Circle of Sargent Church of Christ, Sargent Evangelical Church member, Sargent E Free Church Deaconness, Loup City Baptist Church member, Loup City Baptist Church Women's Missionary Group, The Willing Workers Club, Foster Grandparent Group, as well as a proud State of Nebraska foster parent from 1971-1985. Upon her retirement, Ruby became associated with the Foster Grandparent Program of Grand Island for(. ) years. She was a teacher's aide @ the SonShine Preschool in Sargent, NE & later transferred to the Loup City Kindergarten as a teacher's aide. It was through this program that her love for children & the love from the children continued its legacy. Ruby had several loves in life, including cooking & making crafts. Crafts of notoriety include Raggedy Ann dolls, Mr & Mrs Santa Claus, Plunger dolls, & Carousel horses. She sewed clothes for her children, encouraged her daughters to play the piano, baked goodies, helped on the farm, & milked cows. Preceding Ruby in death were her parents, husband Edward, son Gary, grandson Marshall Shae Haynes, brothers Richard Dill & Tom Dill, Sr., nephew David Jeffrey Greene, Catherine Nell Greene, step-granddaughter Sherri Donelson Majors, & step-great-granddaughter Braya Gans. Ruby leaves to remember her kind spirit & Godly soul her husband Stanley of Off Broadway, Broken Bow, NE, 2 sons Edward Hiram McKnight, Jr., of Gering, NE, David (Brenda) of Fairmont, MN, daughters Marina Burson of Aurora, NE & Ruby "Nellene" (Darren) Martin of Columbia, MO. Beloved step children Linda (Everett) Donelson of Aurora, CO, James (Grace) Nordlund of Phillips, NE, & Debra (John) Frost of Minot, ND, & Lucille "Gay" (Larry) Kennedy of Exeter, NE. Grandchildren left to carry on her memory are Adam, Brian (Jachie), & Gary McKnight, Jake, Jory, & Jade Burson, Sheila (Jeff) Kutzer, Mark (Ann) Donelson, Rodney Nordlund, Randy (Evie) Nordlund, Rhonda (Ron) Gans, Daurice (Jeff) Hower, Jenni Cowan, Daniel (Cara) Frost, Johnna (Garrett) Hall, Lance (Cheri) Kennedy, Louis "Ty" Kennedy, & Lana Kennedy. Great grandchildren who will cherish her memory are Natasha & Eli Kutzer, Caleb, Mitchell, Joel, & Sarah Majors, Lexi & Evan Donelson, Landon & McKenzie Nordlund, Daniel, Michael, & Paige Nordlund, Kyra, Robert, Tykus, & Makya Gans, Alexis & Seth Hower, Jack & Emma Cowan, & Abbie & Lydia Frost. Ruby also leaves to love, her dear sister Betty ( Frank) Greene of Florence, SC. Nephew & niece Frank "Frankie" Jonas Greene, III & Rebecca "Becky" Elizabeth Greene Hood, niece & nephews Sherry Dill, Ricky Wayne Dill, & Mark Dill. Ruby especially valued & loved her nieces & nephews belonging to her brother Tom. Ruby's extended family, friends, & generations of school children will remember & love her always. Ruby's wishes were: Please don't grieve for me as I'm now with my Lord. Pallbearers servicing Ruby will be Adam McKnight, Ty Kennedy, Darren Martin, Mark Dill, Dan Frost, & Ron Gans. Honorary Pallbearers are PFC Brian McKnight (proudly serving in Kuwait), Gary McKnight, Jake Burson, Jory Burson, Lance Kennedy, Ricky Dill, Frank "Frankie" Jonas Greene III, Everett Donelson, John Frost, James "Jim" Nordlund, & Larry Kennedy.