Ruby Stead, age 81, of Westhope, ND, died Friday, December 2, 2016 at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital in Castle Rock, CO. A memorial service will be held on December 10, 2016, 3:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church of Castle Rock. A graveside service will be held in Westhope, ND, in the spring of 2017.

Ruby (Rippetoe) Stead, 2nd eldest child of Arthur and Gertrude (Brown) Rippetoe was born on April 8, 1935 in Davidson County, Arkansas. As a young girl, she and her family moved to Susanville, California, where she attended elementary school and graduated from Lassen High School. Upon graduation, she ventured to the city of San Francisco and completed coursework in nursing and secretarial training. She lived and worked in San Francisco for several years. On August 3, 1957 she married Arthur Stead of Westhope, North Dakota. She then ventured further away, to North Dakota to the Stead family farm. As well as helping with farm operations, Ruby was a legal secretary to attorney/judge Lester Ketterling for many years. Ruby and Arthur raised four children and were mentors to many more.

Ruby enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She was passionate about books and has instilled the love of reading and the importance of education to the entire family. Her generosity, gentle spirit and her disarming sense of humor will be missed.

She is survived by her sons, Ron (Melinda) Stead of Westhope, ND, Tom (Candi) Stead of Aurora, CO; daughters, Lisa Stead (Lance Peterson) of Sedalia, CO, and Susan (Peter) Pike of Denver, CO; 10 grand children, Kallyn, Samuel, Delaney Peterson; David Stead, Steven Carlson, Rachel Oberholtzer, Clare Hughes; Olivia, Elias and Isaac Pike; one great-grandson, Iver Oberholtzer; brother Floyd Rippetoe; sister, Ella Sannes and many nieces and nephews.

Ruby was preceded in death by her brother, James; sisters, Wanda (Sue) and Wilma, her parents and her husband, Arthur.

Memorials preferred to: Bottineau County Imagination Library, 314 5th St. W, Bottineau, ND 58318