Obituary of Ruby Fern Eckstrom

Ruby Fern Eckstrom, 91, of Silver Bay, MN, passed away peacefully on Sunday April 7th at Diamond Willow Assisted Living in Duluth, MN. She was born December 2nd, 1932 in Cheyenne, WY, the daughter of Adolph and Lenora Ochaner Pinkal. Ruby graduated from Highland High School, Cowiche, WA in 1951. After high school, Ruby took additional classes in office machines practice, income tax preparation, powder puff mechanics, and furniture restoration.

After graduation, Ruby worked as a clerk at Ben Franklin. In July of 1951 she met Robert Eckstrom at a dance in Salem, Oregon. He asked her out and took her to the circus. They got married in Salem, OR on June 27th, 1952. After completing her post-graduation classes, she worked as a clerk typist for the State of Oregon, Withholding Tax Department from 1951-1954. She then worked for the State in the Veterans affairs office as a receptionist typist until 1955.

In 1956 her son Bob Jr was born and she became a homemaker. In 1957 they traveled to Randall, MN for her to meet her in-laws. They decided to stay when work was available up in Silver Bay, MN. After raising her two children, Ruby worked at Tompte Handcrafts, Pioneer Crafts, and Beaver Bay Agate Shop. Ruby and Robert also owned and ran the Pidepiper ice cream truck.

Ruby had many hobbies including traveling, camping, sewing, quilting, hand crafts, knitting, crocheting, berry picking, tree planting, wild ricing, and going canoeing in the boundary waters. Ruby also spent numerous hours being a volunteer with the Silver Bay Food Shelf as a board member, was a cub scout den mother, board member for Ducks Unlimited and secretary at Pioneer crafts, cooking for public dinners, Lakeview Nursing Home, women’s auxiliary for the VFW, Blue Line hockey club, and Red Hat Society. Ruby also was a member of Sychar Lutheran Church for 69 years and worked with Luther League, secretary for confirmation classes and the mission circle; making many quilts!

Ruby enjoyed spending the winters for 34 years in Black Canyon City, AZ. She attended Grace Lutheran Church and would spend Saturday nights at game night and would help out with their rummage sales. She enjoyed gold mining with Robert through the Road runners Rock and gold mining club and was also a part of the Braggin rock club.

Ruby was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert, brothers Raymond Pinkal and George Pinkal, and sisters Martha Kujath, Dorothy Hammer, Elsie Dulley, Ida Harrison, Betty Worthen, and Esther Jolley. She is survived by son Bob, daughter Lisa (Peter); Brother-in-law Edward Eckstrom, former sister-in-law Pat Carpenter; grandchildren Matt (Jessica), Melinda, Ashley (Chris), and Kristin (Christopher); four great-grandchildren.

Services will be held on April 27th at 11AM, with visitation starting at 10AM, at Sychar Lutheran Church in Silver Bay. Luncheon to follow. A burial service will be held on April 29th at 1pm at MN State Veterans Cemetery, Little FaIls. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Sychar Mission Circle, Sychar Lutheran Church Silver Bay or Grace Lutheran Church Black Canyon City Az.