Obituary of Ruby Willison Goodell

A funeral service will be held Monday, November 24, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. for Ruby Willison Goodell at Union Memorial Church in Milford, Iowa. Burial will follow at North Lawn Cemetery in Spencer. A visitation with family present from 4:00 - 6:00 PM will take place Sunday, November 23, 2014 at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford, Ruby Catherine Willison Goodell, the daughter of Clara (Brandt) and Carl Olson, was born August 2, 1923 in Cherokee County on the family farm near Quimby. Clara and Carl immigrated from Sweden to the United States. Ruby was one of the first five ladies employed by Berkley Bedell tying fishing lures. On Feb. 20, 1942, Ruby married Wayne Willison in Jackson, Minnesota. She was an active farm wife, raised chickens, helped with chores, milked cows and field work. She enjoyed raising roses and always had a productive garden. She enjoyed canning and freezing all the garden vegetables. In her younger years she enjoyed sewing, making dresses for Pat and Linda and enjoyed just "shopping"! She also loved to cook, bake and travel. One of her favorite trips was to Sweden with her dad and siblings where they visited many relatives. Ruby always had a puzzle going and loved to dance with the Big Band names….Lawrence Welk! They used to go to dances at the Roof Garden, Woodcliff, Cobblestone and Hartley Ballroom and she never turned down a trip to the casino! Ruby was a cook at Okoboji School, Salad Lady at Homers Steak House and then was employed by Stylecraft. After retiring from farming, they moved to Spencer and worked at Coast to Coast and then Superior Manufacturing. She lost her husband, Wayne, suddenly due to a heart attack in January 1972. Later, she married Dale Goodell. They lived in Hawaii for a time before moving to the Philippines for eighteen months where Dale had employment teaching farm workers to raise crops. They enjoyed traveling and experienced a round-the-world trip visiting Greece, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. After Dale and Ruby moved to Colorado Springs, Dale passed away from cancer on June 16, 1989. Ruby moved back to Heather Ridge Condo and then to Milford. She was a member of the Union Memorial Church. Ruby passed away November 21, 2014 at the Milford Nursing Center at ninety-one years of age. Left to cherish her memory is her son, Mike (Vicki) Willison of Milford; daughter, Pat (Jack) Wilson of Aurelia; son-in-law, Kent Simonson of Milford; grandchildren, Heather and Heath Willison, Julie (Cal) Miller, Kiley (Pam) Wilson, Todd Wilson, Shelley Simonson and Staci (Chuck) Augustine; great-grandchildren, Josh and Chelbie Miller (her fiancé, Brock Bates), Dayton Willison, Cody Wilson, Abbie and Morgan Wilson and Payton and Nick Augustine. She is also survived by brother, Paul (Phyllis) Olson; sister-in-law, Delaine Olson; many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Wayne; husband, Dale; daughter, Linda Simonson; brothers, Clarence and Bob; sisters, Doris and Bernice.