Ruth Carolyn Heller

BORN SEPTEMBER 13, 1919

DIED MARCH 23, 2018

Ruth was born on September 13, 1919 in White Lake, South Dakota. She was the seventh child born to William and Cecilia Wiese Dey. Ruth had six older siblings: Doris, Ivan, Arthur, Willis, Celia, Fred and one younger brother, Alvin who was born in 1923. Ruth has vivid memory of Alvin’s birth. These two were playmates and pals on the South Dakota prairies in their childhood.

Ruth was in the fifth grade when her father traded his farm near White Lake for a larger farm near Plankinton. Ruth remembers the cold winters on the prairie and walking to the country school located on the Dey farm about one mile from the home. After reaching the eighth grade, Ruth attended high school in Plankinton. The high school was 15 miles from the farm, so her father took turns with other farm parents driving the girls to Plankinton where they rented a room from Monday to Friday. On Friday the parents would pick them up and they went home for the weekend. Such was the life of a high school student during the 20s and 30s. Ruth graduated from high school and attended a secretarial school in Sioux Falls. After completion of the courses, she was employed by The Corps of Engineers at a satellite base in Sioux Falls. She later moved to Denver and was Secretary for the Army Air Force in Lowery Field advancing to secretary for the Director of Operations to the end of the war. Ruth continued working as a Civil Service employee at other locations including California and Oklahoma until her retirement in 1960.

The William and Cecilia Dey family was a very secure loving family. Her father was a hard-working, good provider and successfully kept his farm during the depression and dust bowl years when many folks did not survive. William Dey met a couple of men who were holding gospel meetings. William professed and raised his family dedicated to the Lord. Ruth was grateful for her father’s profession into this faith as this has been a major love in her life and especially in her later years.

Ruth was married to Charles Keas from 1949 until his death in 1978 in Kansas. She picked up the pieces and moved to Oroville, California. There she met Ray Heller and they were married April 2, 1983. Ray passed away September 8, 2007 in Sun City, AZ.

Ruth moved to the home of her niece, Shirley Dey Desy, in June 2008 and lived with Shirley until her death. Ruth was active in her church until she was physically unable to attend, but she kept in touch with many of her church friends. She made many other friends while here in California. She enjoyed our pool parties and barbeques during the summer and loved the hotdogs! During these past ten years, she was able to spend time with Shirley’s family and get to know them, her brother’s children and grandchildren. Ruth was always quick to smile. She spent her free time on her computer, conversing with friends and relatives. Most impressive of all was her skill on her I Phone.

Ruth was the last of the William and Cecilia Dey generation, living to the ripe old age of 98 years, 6 months and 10 days. She had a total of 23 Dey nieces and nephews. She is survived by 15 remaining Dey nieces and nephews and their families.