Ruby Mae Geike

Ruby Hockett Geike passed away June 13, 2022, at the Torrington, Wyoming, hospital.  She was born September 27, 1927, in Lusk, Wyoming, to Arthur and Violet (Burkehart) Hockett.  They lived north of Manville, Wyoming, until Ruby was three years old, when the family moved to near Marsland, Nebraska.  She attended country schools through 9th grade and then began working outside the home.  On July 3, 1946, she was united in marriage to Herbert Geike in Harrison, Nebraska.  They lived and worked on the family ranch north of Harrison with Herb’s folks, Henry and Orpha Geike, for several years, and took over running the ranch when Henry and Orpha moved to eastern Nebraska to Orpha’s aunt’s place.  Herb and Ruby were the parents of three daughters:  Zanya, Twila, and Julie.

In 1970 Ruby moved to Harrison to send their girls to town school.  She was always busy.  She boarded school kids for several years and cared for Herb’s mother prior to Orpha moving to the rest home.  Ruby wrapped meat at the Harrison Locker Plant and worked at the Harrison Cash Grocery.  She then bought and operated the store for 13 years before selling it.  She wasn’t ready to retire however, and went to work as the site manager of the Sunshine Senior Center in Harrison.  Though she didn’t tell anyone except her girls, she was proud of the fact that she obtained her GED in her “spare” time.  In later years she enjoyed spending time with her “adopted” family and next-door neighbors Matt and Sunny Edwards, Autumn and Clair.

Ruby was active in the Harrison Methodist Church, church circle, and church clubs.  She served on the Harrison Village Board and was a member of the Harrison Community Club.  She thoroughly enjoyed taking several trips with the Security First Bank Gold Club.  She also enjoyed attending all the various school activities and was an avid Sioux County Warriors sports fan.  She was an excellent seamstress, having made her daughters’ clothes for many years and a “ton” of doll clothes, among other things.  She was always reading, embroidering, or doing counted cross-stitch projects and enjoyed puzzles in later years when arthritis prevented her from working on sewing hobbies.  She also enjoyed playing cards “with the girls” every week.

She lived in her own home until February of this year, when she moved in with her daughter, Julie, at LaGrange, Wyoming.  She is survived by her daughters: Zanya (Tom) Faint of Harrison, Twila (Kevin) Grote of Harrison, and Julie (Marry) Matney of LaGrange, Wyoming; grandson Wyatt Grote of Bismark, N.D., granddaughter Nicki (Jay) Kittinger and great-granddaughter Josie Kittinger of Harrison; brother Fred (Betty) Hockett; special cousin May Smith of Manville, Wyoming; sister-in-law Anita Geike of Casper, Wyoming; and many nieces and nephews, other cousins and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Herb Geike, sister Edna Jines, niece Betsey Hockett, sister-in-law Vesta Hutchison, brother-in-law Wendell Geike, brother- and sister-in-law Goward Geike and Janet, Joe Hutchison, and Finley Jines and numerous other relatives.

She was blessed to live a long, healthy life, and saw many changes in her lifetime, although she didn’t care for a lot of the “modern technology”!

Services were held Friday, June 17, 2022, at 10 A.M. at the United Memorial Methodist Church in Harrison, Nebraska, with burial at the Harrison Cemetery. 

Memorials have been established to the Harrison Methodist Church and the Sioux County Rescue Service.

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