It’s a Wonderful Life
When celebrating a life like
Little Ruth Marie Nelson Chase Olson’s , especially at Christmas time, one
immediately thanks Frank Capra. He posed
the question: What difference could her
life possibly have made? Having had the
opportunity to play Clarence, the angel in waiting, it’s only fair I get to
answer that question!
Born a daughter and a sister,
Ruth’s formative years began in metropolitan Goodwin, South Dakota. Sandwiched between her two brothers and
“guided” by an older sister, she quickly developed a loyalty and love for them
that was boundless. And of course, there
was Miss Cookie! An amazingly strong and
resourceful woman, she raised Ruth to recognize her own worth—to make lasting
friends—to fiercely protect the animals in her (and everyone else’s) care. Miss Cookie raised four highly intelligent,
independent thinkers.
Graduating from the
cosmopolitan town of Watertown,
(Class of 55, an amazing amalgam of phenomenal people) Ruth was off to SDSU,
where she received her teaching degree AND established life-long relationships
with the women affectionately known as the Knight House Girls. These friendships would grow and deepen over
time, with every effort to stay in touch through letters, cards, e-mails, and
the yearly pilgrimages they would make to exotic locations like The Blue Belle
Inn near Rapid City and a trip or two to holy
city--Saint Cloud.
It was back to Watertown to teach, to
meet her handsome prince, to marry, and to live happily ever after. Or so was the plan. Mark, her handsome prince, died unexpectedly
one summer while away from home. Her “once
upon a time” did not have the expected ending.
But no one was better dealing with (or teaching for that matter) plot
shifts. With the help of supportive
friends, life went on.
Enter Clarence, or more
specifically, the loud, obnoxious, freshman debate coach. Suspect from the start, Ruth and friends were
completely unsure as to what had just happened.
I’m not sure how, or for that matter, why, but they accepted me,
nurtured me, and began a life-long friendship that even death cannot destroy!
Once upon a time becomes
twice upon a time. Ruth and Chuck meet,
discover in each other a part missing from their lives, and have spent the last
38 years traveling, gardening, raising and loving their cats (whose names
seemed to change periodically!) and completing each other.
Retirement. While a viable concept, no one would say it
applied to Ruth. Although she no longer
taught, she enmeshed herself in her community.
Friends of the library flourished.
The Mellette House had its own girl guide. The Historical Museum
had an avid crusader. Retired School
Personnel had a champion. Town Players
enjoyed the fruits (and savories) of her kitchen labors. And her friends and family had Ruth!
So that’s her life. Did it make a difference?
Ask her husband. Ask her brother. Ask the nieces and nephews and great nieces
and nephews. Ask the Knight House Girls. Ask the class of 55. Ask her life-long friends. Ask any of the organizations to which she
gave her time and energy. Ask anyone who
was the beneficiary of one of her greeting cards. A couple favorites stand out—there was the
Easter card with the dyed eggs on the front, and when opened, you were
confronted with an extremely bellicose chicken screaming “Who painted my
babies.?” And my all time favorite—the
birthday card from Ruth and Chuck that very simply wished me a happy
birthday—from the Jungle Stud and his Amazon Temptress!
But most importantly, ask the
children whose lives she touched, whose minds she molded, whose souls she
changed. Upon announcement of her death,
over 100 responders spoke to her abilities…her deftness at “learning them” and
making them feel good. This is what one
of them wrote to her only last week.
I wanted to say a few things
to someone who has touched my life so profoundly.
Not only do I value the
things you taught me in the classroom, but far and away the most important and
valuable thing to me is our friendship and what that has become. I am always
excited to email you and tell you news from life. You encouraged me to go to
grad school, to complete the dissertation beast, and always make me feel like
you are proud of me. You support me in my academic, and now professional,
endeavors. Having you as a cheerleader means more than you may realize. I
have come to think of you as part of my family and love you as such. I am angry
that we won't get enough time to continue our friendship. I am also angry that
something like this happened to such a beautiful person. I am so glad I walked
by your classroom saying hi everyday, and am thankful for everything that came
after. You have touched many lives, none more than Chuck's, but you have
certainly influenced and made mine better. There should never be a day that the
earth turns without you in it, but I am so happy I got to spend some of those
turns with you.
Today we celebrate our
turns. Today we give thanks for all the
joy and smiles. Today we eat and drink
because she wanted us to, we put away our tears and pain for just a while, and
we raise our glasses…To our Amazon Temptress.
The time has come for you to fly away.
Let us give you your wings!
