Ruby Mae Clark, 71, of Wolf Point, MT passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, June 10, 2012 after a long battle with cancer.
She was born April 28, 1941 in Poplar, MT to John and Mary Clark. She attended school in Wolf Point for 11 years. She later received her GED in 1961. She attended college at the University of Montana for one year before returning home to help care for her family.
She worked for the Fort Peck Head Start program as a teacher’s assistance for several years. She then began a career working for the Fort Peck Tribes Vocational rehabilitation program. She retired in 2009 due to illness.
Ruby was honored as one of the recipients of the 2007 Courage and Advocacy Award, Presented by the Montana Advocacy Program Inc. The award was given to Ruby and other recipients at the fourth annual Biennial Courage and Advocacy Dinner, held at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena on January 25.
Ruby was a single parent who knew how difficult it was to raise a child. She learned what it was to be an advocate and caregiver when her son, Elmer sustained a traumatic brain injury. Ruby worked tirelessly to educate people in the community about brain injury, heath care, and self-advocacy. She served on the Governor’s Advisory Council for Brain Injury and traveled great distances to represent her community on the state level.
Ruby was acutely aware of the difficulties people in rural areas have in accessing proper services. For many years, Ruby helped others gain their independence through the vocational rehabilitation program. She believed in letting others know that they can speak for themselves and what they say counts and that made her happy.
She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Mary Clark; twin daughters, Lisa Marie and Dawn Marie Clark; brothers, Melvin Paul, Elmer Jay, Elmer James, and Bernard Louis Clark; sisters, Josephine Rose Clark, Ramona Fern Mason, and LaQuita Joy Christensen; and special grandson, Desmond James Clark.
She is survived by her brother, Charles (Ellen) Clark of Roslyn, SD; adopted sister, Myrna Charbonneau of Poplar; 5 sons, John, Gary, Melvin (Pam), and Elmer Clark all of Wolf Point and Dorrance (Lara) Clark of Lacrosse, WI; 8 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane, we would walk right up to Heaven to bring you home again. No farewell words were spoken, no time to say goodbye, you were gone before we knew it, and God only knows why. Our hearts ache in sadness, and secret tears still flow, what it meant to lose you, no one will ever know. Ruby we love and will miss you very much!
Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until the prayer service at 7 p.m. Friday, June 15 at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point. A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, June 16 at the Silver Wolf Casino in Wolf Point. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.claytonstevensonchapel.com. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel of Wolf Point, MT has been entrusted with the arrangements.