Ruby Burnadette Chapin Bestul, age 83, of Baldwin, Wis., died peacefully Wednesday, August 25, 2010, at the Baldwin Care Center.
Ruby was born on Oct. 10, 1926, in St. Paul, Minn., the third of six children born to Burdette and Dora “Dorothy” (Nelson, Nielsen) Chapin. Ruby was called to her eternal home on August 25, 2010, at the Baldwin Care Center.
Ruby married Edgar L. Kaylor on July 18, 1963. Ed died in 1969. She later married Lyal Eugene Bestul on July 4, 1986. Lyal died in a tragic accident on May 24, 2006, in Mesa, Ariz.
After graduating from the River Falls High School in 1944, Ruby moved to Milwaukee with her mother, two brothers and a sister, where her father, Burdette, had found an apartment and was working as a welder on bombs at AO Smith. Ruby also found work at AO Smith. In 1948, she moved to St. Paul and worked at a trucking firm and then for 3M. She did not like Wisconsin/Minnesota winters and moved to Denver, Colo., in September of 1952 where she worked as a proofreader for the Denver Post newspaper. In April 1953, she started working for the Denver Rio Grande Railroad and remained there until she retired.
After retirement, she and Lyal became Arizona residents and lived in Apache Junction/Mesa, Ariz. They spent their summers in Show Low, Ariz.
She loved to dance, to do crossword puzzles (which she was a “whiz” at), and to visit nearby casinos on occasion. She was a faithful card player at the Baldwin Senior Center when she was feeling well enough.
Ruby is survived by her brothers, Paul (Phyllis) Chapin of Baldwin and Robert Chapin of Barnes, Wis.; sisters-in-law/brothers-in-law, Curtis (Bernice) Bestul of Eau Claire, Wis., Audrey (Dennis) Karpinski of Mesquite, Ariz., Orvin Olson of Cameron, Wis.; three stepsons, John (Becky) Bestul of Little Chute, Wis., Dan (Sandy) Bestul of Monroe, Wis., Joe (Gloria) Bestul of Peachtree City, Ga.; seven step-grandchildren, Elizabeth, Eric (Mandie), Ethan, Amy, Alex, Thomas and Paul; one step-great-granddaughter, Anna; 16 nieces and nephews, and other dear family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister and brother-in-law, Pearl and Norman Albertson; brother and sister-in-law, Don and Betty Jane Chapin; sister, Geraldine Olson; sister-in-law, Yvonne (Hunter, Chapin) Brown, and nephew, Ronald Albertson.
Funeral service for Ruby will be 11 a.m. Saturday, August 28, at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Baldwin with Pastor Carmen Peterson officiating. Burial will be in the Greenwood Cemetery in River Falls with casketbearers being Kevin Albertson, Dan Chapin, Rocky Chapin, Peter Chapin, Rick Chapin, Brad Olson, and Mark Olson. Her step-grandchildren will serve as honorary casketbearers. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Baldwin and one hour prior to the service at church on Saturday.
Memorials are preferred.
Tags: obituaries
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