Ruth Eleanor Higgs |
| Posted 2020-04-15 by mhenderson |
| Published in The Miner on April 9, 2020 - Kingman, Arizona - Ms. Ruth Eleanor Higgs crossed the Rainbow Bridge Saturday afternoon, March 21, 2020 at 1:39 p.m. at her residence in Kingman, Arizona. She was born Sept. 14, 1924 in the town of Lakeland, Florida, daughter to Lyman Willard Higgs Senior and Ruby Schutes Higgs. She had a brother, Lyman Willard Higgs Junior and a sister, Frances Higgs. Her parents did live to reach their early 90s in age, and she always aspired to live longer, which she easily did. She was 95 years, 6 months and 7 days young. Ruth was born and raised in a log cabin. By the age of 4 she was an apt pupil absorbing everything she could learn in her spot beside the teacher’s desk in the classroom in which her mother taught. She insisted on her own report card. When she was still “wet behind the ears,” she moved to Washington, D.C., and worked in the banking industry. She started as a “runner” physically transporting checks to the clearing house and worked her way up to Chief Coin Teller. Ruth began her formal college education in Washington, DC attending The American University, and supported herself while in school by working at the now-landmark, Hogates’ Seafood Restaurant. She attended the Lucy Webb Hayes School of Nursing from 1954-1957 and obtained her Registered Nurse Degree. Her first job was at Sibley Memoria Hospital ER where she became the Head Nurse. She then became an Administrative Nurse at the Student Health Center of The American University where she was quite active in mitigating the flu epidemic on campus and specialized in the management of acne. She received a grant for the development of the “Self-Help Acne Clinic.” She also had a particular skill where she could use her hands on one’s head/neck and get rid of migraines and tension headaches within minutes! Her nursing career took her to UCLA where she was the Co-coordinator of the College Health Nurse Practitioner Course. Here she worked hand in hand with Lee Ford, the original founder of the Nurse Practitioner program. Years after she retired from Student Health Services at UCLA, Ruth would test each and every young Nurse Practitioner that she met to make certain they knew the name of the person who started the first Nurse Practitioner degree Program. After retirement, she traveled Europe and the world. Ruth loved to recall that she visited Egypt at a time when she could be photographed sitting on the paw of the Sphynx. She took a cruise for her 80th birthday. Her last big trip abroad was to the Galapagos Islands when she was in her mid 80s. Ruth eventually moved to Bullhead City to live with and care for her longtime friend, and also retired nurse, A. Dot Malone. In Bullhead the dynamic duo of “Ruth and Dot” were known to the community. They enjoyed garage sales, attending the church of religious science, and occasional gambling at the Pioneer. The two friends traveled in their big orange RV. They loved nature, frequenting national parks and the deserts of the southwest or snow skiing. They also loved animals and traveled on camera safari to Africa. Ruth was known to always say “and bless the furry friends” at the close of each blessing. After Dot’s passing she moved to Kingman to be close to her friend and adopted niece Dianne Haydon Ekstrom. It was then that she began to introduce herself to everyone she met as “Aunt Ruth.” Her family recalls that Ruth was a strong woman. Born at the time of the infamous Great Depression, her life was filled with hardship that she learned to overcome. Extreme poverty, extreme tragedy (losing her sister at a young age, and her brother much sooner than expected), and personal injury, these were all things that a woman with the fortitude that Ruth possessed handled with grit and determination. Despite these problems, she could always come back to you with love and her special catch-phrase for those who knew her best was “Love ya good!” Ruth was also a strong woman mentally. She was fierce in her convictions and always spoke the bold truth. One always knew what she thought, and whether you agreed with her or not, you knew she spoke with her heart and mind and was dedicated to her beliefs. A particular conviction of her’s was Native Americans. She frequently spoke in favor of their needs and donated to their causes. Ruth lived independently in her home for many years. She required part time assistance at home in her late 80s. When she was almost 90 she moved to assisted living at White Cliffs Senior Living with her precious red toy poodle “Rosie.” Rosie and Ruth enjoyed the company of new friends, outings to local restaurants and “happy hour” every Thursday. She instructed Dianne to keep her candy jar full at all times so she could share with the caregivers. After emergency surgery in August 2018, Ruth moved to Memory Care at White Cliffs. She often remarked “they take good care of me” about her caregivers and the staff. She enjoyed listening to the “Preacher Man” who visited on Sundays. She was an avid giver of hugs and was often heard to say “I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.” She is survived by her sister-in-law Inamarie Higgs, and nephews Michael Christopher Higgs and Robert Stephen Higgs, and in-laws Jennafer Elaine Higgs and Gonzalo Ortiz Forero. She is also survived by her “adopted family” friend Dianne Haydon Ekstrom and her husband Bill and children, Hillary and Haydon, and also by her beloved canine buddy “Rosie.” In lieu of a service, she has requested that she be cremated, and that her ashes be spread in a special area in Colorado where her friend Dot’s ashes were spread as well. The Higgs Family and Ekstrom Family wish all of Ruth’s friends and acquaintances, and all the wonderful staff at White Cliffs, to be safe and well in these times, and to remember Ruth’s spirit in that one can always rise over adversity. |
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