Obituaries

Alta M. Ruby, age 88, of Sheldon, Iowa passed away on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at the Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

Her services will be 10:30 A.M. Saturday, February 15, 2014 at the United Methodist Church in Sheldon with Rev. Kevin Gingerich ~ officiating. Burial will be in the East Lawn Cemetery in Sheldon.

Visitation will be Friday, February 14, 2014 after 3 P.M. with the family present from 4 to 6 P.M. at the Vander Ploeg Funeral Home in Sheldon.

Online memorial condolences may be sent to: vanderploegfunerals.com

Arrangements are under the care of Vander Ploeg Funeral Home, Sheldon, Iowa.

Alta Mae Ruby, the daughter of Albert and Merle Gintert, was born on February 16, 1925, at her parent’s home in Shellsburg, Iowa. When she was three years old, her family moved to Clarence, Iowa where they lived until after her high school freshman year. The family moved to Sheldon, Iowa in June 1939, where she graduated from high school in 1942. She was very active during her high school years in music, drama, and athletics. She sang in the Methodist Church Choir and was a member of the Methodist Youth Fellowship. After graduating from Sheldon High, she worked in Des Moines, Iowa for one year for the Town Mutual Dwelling Insurance Company. In July 1943, she accepted a position at the Security State Bank in Sheldon, serving there until December 1944. In September 1943, she was asked to assist with organizing the Civil Air Patrol Unit in Northwest Iowa. She was appointed an officer in the Sheldon Squadron serving as Adjutant in the CAP. She was then appointed official recruiter for the Air-Wac, traveling in the area giving talks to women’s services. Carrying the rank of Lieutenant, she was the first lady to make successful solo cross country flight. She flew from Sheldon to Estherville to Algona and back to Sheldon. Her military plans were changed when she was united in marriage to LT. Carl Ruby at the Sheldon Methodist Church on December 25, 1944. They made their home in Hot Springs, Arkansas where Carl was serving as an army officer until his discharge.

In January 1946, they returned to Iowa and made their home in Hartley where they raised and educated their five children. Alta was a member of the Hartley Methodist Church serving in many capacities. She also enjoyed participating in the community plays, musicals, and patriotic programs. She was active in the Hartley Band Boosters, Eastern Star, and IFWC Friday Club. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and held many offices in the organization. Alta and Carl were Methodist Youth Fellowship counselors for three years. Alta and Carl moved to West Okoboji Harbor in Spirit Lake, Iowa in 1977 and lived there for twenty five years. They were active members in the Spirit Lake Methodist Church. Alta served on the West Okoboji Harbor board for two years and for three years on the Iowa Great Lakes Ministry Board. She was a member of the Dickinson County Hospital Auxiliary for two years. Alta and Carl loved to Travel. They went on many camping trips with their family as they were growing up. Later, the couple traveled throughout the United States and abroad. They spent thirteen years in Mesa, Arizona during the winter months. In May, 2002, Alta and Carl moved back to Sheldon, this being their dream to move back home. Their happiness was short lived as Carl passed away in August, 2002. By this time, Alta’s activities were limited due to her neuropathy and cancer, but she always remained positive. Alta stayed in their condo in Sheldon until it was to difficult to live alone. She moved to Fieldcrest Assisted Living where she had been residing the past five years. Alta’s family always came first. She was a constant support to her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her God-given challenge was to share her deep faith in God and to teach her children and their families of God’s word, His love, and His promises for their lives. She was an inspiration to everyone she met.

     She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Merle Gintert; her husband, Carl; her brother and sister-in-law, Donald and Maxine Gintert; her brother-in-law, Donald Garman; her daughter-in-law, Cynthia Ruby; and her infant great grandson, Brogan Perkins.

     Those left to cherish her memory are her five children: Douglas and Diane Ruby of Visalia, CA; Carla and Wendell Putnam of Colorado Springs, CO; Dr. Roger and Myra Ruby of Sheldon; Gary Ruby of Dalhart, TX and SFC Russell and Cheryl Ruby of Scotland, SD; her sister, Beverly Garman of Allen, TX; her brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Norma Gintert of Santa Cruz, CA; twelve grandchildren, twenty-one great grandchildren, and many relatives and friends.

Henry “Clifford” Top, age 95, of Orange City, passed away on Monday, February 3, 2014, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

There will be a memorial service on Thursday, February 6, at 11:00am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Tim Breen will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the Newkirk Cemetery. There will be a prayer service on Thursday, at 9:30am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Wednesday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the funeral home.

The Oolman Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Henry “Clifford” Top.

Clifford, son of Gerrit and Nellie (Popma) Top, was born October 21, 1918 on a farm north of Alton, Iowa.
Clifford would later make the same farm his own, where he would raise his family.

Clifford was drafted into the United States Army in September of 1942. He took his basic training at Camp Callan near San Diego, California, and after a brief assignment protecting the Boeing B17 plant in Seattle and an assignment in Kansas and Georgia he left for France where he began his assignment in the European theatre of World War II. Clifford’s specific training in radio communications would lead to his proficiency in Morse Code. Clifford would journey to Frankfurt, Germany, where he joined the 3rd Army under General Patton. In 1946 Clifford returned home to his family farm, where he would spend the next 43 years of his life. In 1989 Clifford retired from farming and
moved to Orange City.

Clifford married his wife of 71 years, Sophia Irene Bomgaars, on December 10, 1942 in La Jolla, California. Clifford and Sophia were members of the Newkirk Reformed Church for many years, before moving to Orange City and becoming members of the First Reformed Church in Orange City. In addition to his many years of farming, Clifford drove school bus seventeen years for the Floyd Valley School District. He also worked with the maintenance department in that same school system. Later Cliff would work for the maintenance department at Northwestern College in Orange City. Cliff was a member of the Newkirk Consistory, the Newkirk School board, and a member of the board at AMPI in Sibley, Iowa.

Clifford enjoyed golf, vacationing in Phoenix, handy work, dancing, but especially his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife; five sons and their wives, Norlan and Rose from Arnolds Park, Kenneth and Jan from Denver, Colorado, Robert from Sun Lakes, Arizona, Loren and Tammi from Rock Rapids, and Dave and Melinda from Loveland, Colorado; eleven grandchildren and their spouses, Doug (Amy) Top from Sioux Falls, SD, Laura (Terry) Torkildson from Sioux Falls, Kenndra Top from Thousand Oaks, CA, Chad (Gretchen) Scott from Sioux Falls, Chris (Misty) Scott from Houston, TX, Chuck (Teresa) Scott from Sioux Falls, Adam (Crystal) Top from Sun Lakes, AZ, Jennifer (Monty) Prins from Sioux Center, IA, Jonathan Top from Orange City, IA, Adam (Sandi) Brock from Loveland, CO, and Mandi Brock from LeMars, IA; and eighteen great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Clifford was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law Cindy Top, a great-grandson, Ayden Prins; and two sisters, Winifred (Arie) Bomgaars and Kathryn (Henry) Bomgaars.

Memorials will be directed to the Orange City Area Home Health and Hospice.

Shirley P. De Graaff, 90, of Rock Valley, died Saturday, February 01, 2014 at Whispering Heights in Rock Valley.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 7, 2014 at Tabernacle Baptist Church in George, Iowa with a luncheon to follow.  Burial will be at Valley View Cemetery in Rock Valley following the luncheon at church.  Visitation with the family present will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, February 6, 2014 at Porter Funeral home in Rock Valley.

Memorials may be given to the Tabernacle Baptist Church Building Fund and condolences may be left for the family at www.porterfuneralhomes.com.

Shirley Phyllis (Stuckenbruck) De Graaff was born December 6, 1923 at her family’s farm south of Rock Valley. She was the only child of Rich and Helen (Borchers) Stuckenbruck. Shirley attended Country School through 8th grade then Rock Valley Public School where she graduated with the class of 1941. She was united in marriage to Harold De Graaff on August 29, 1946. The couple farmed south of Rock Valley until 2000. They retired to Rock Valley in 2003. Harold passed away on October 23, 2007, in Rock Valley, after more than 61 years of marriage. In November 2011 Shirley moved to Aspen Heights Assisted Living in Hull; then in December 2013 moved to Whispering Heights Nursing Home in Rock Valley.

Shirley was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church of George, Iowa. She believed in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. Her heart’s desire was for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to know the Lord and walk with Him! She loved spending time with family and friends. Shirley was a hard worker and enjoyed gardening, canning, cooking, sewing and working alongside her husband doing the farm work.

Shirley is survived by her children, Douglas (Judy) De Graaff of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Sharla (David) Brammer of Sioux Center, and Curtis (Karen) De Graaff of Brownsburg, Indiana; 11 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; 4 sisters-in-law: Angeline Oolbekkink of New London, Minnesota, Verna (Bill) Boer of Rock Valley and Alma (Jerry) Van Aalsburg of Modesto, California and Gladys De Graaff of Meridian, Idaho.

Shirley was preceded in death by her loving husband, Harold De Graaff, her parents and 5 brothers-in-law: Francis, Donald, William, Mitchell and Elmer De Graaff; 3 sisters-in-law: Josephine Peters, Betty and Minnie De Graaff and a grandson, Benjamin Douglas De Graaff.