Ruth Siferd
Ruth Arlene Siferd (née McAskill), January 22, 1935–May 15, 2022
In the Bible, Ruth has many characteristics: loving, hardworking, virtuous, and obedient. In Hebrew it means friend or companion. The baby girl who joined the family of Donald and Lida McAskill on January 22, 1935, in Drumheller, certainly embodied these characteristics. Since Lida was a member of the Ruth Chapter of Eastern Star, and this sweet babe was born on their meeting night, it was fitting that she be named Ruth.
Ruth’s father died in 1939, leaving four daughters and three stepchildren. A few years later, a new stepfather, Phil Duchesnay, and his son Ed, joined the family. Following a short move to Ontario they moved back to the Millarville area, near Calgary. Ruth completed Grade 11 in Jasper Place (now part of Edmonton) and moved to Calgary where she attended Henderson’s Business College. She worked in Calgary as a stenographer while living with her younger sister Joyce.
On July 1, 1955, a rainy, muddy day at the Millarville Races and Dance, she met the love of her life, Donald Siferd. This was a very successful match-making scheme devised by Ruth’s sister Eleanor and Don’s sister Doris. They were married on June 23, 1956, at Knox United Church in Calgary. Don’s brother Clark and Ruth’s sister Joyce were their attendants. Clark’s wife Vera was in the hospital at the time. Because Ruth loved Vera dearly, she insisted that the whole wedding party go to visit in all their finery. This is one of many simple examples of Ruth’s loyalty and compassion for people she cared about.
This union produced three children, Patricia, Timothy, and Peggy, all born in Calgary. The family moved to Drumheller in 1966 and then to Oyen in 1967, where Ruth and Don lived for over fifty years. During this time, the family grew to include nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Their time in Oyen, aka “the best move we ever made,” was filled with friends and travel, work and play, family and love. Oyen was, unshakably, home.
Ruth worked for the Oyen branch of the Toronto Dominion Bank for 25 years. She was a loyal Lioness and was their trusted treasurer until 2021. Ruth and Don loved going to dances and sipping a good Tom Collins or some sparkly pink wine. In the 1990s, Ruth took a bus trip to Nashville with her sister Eleanor. Ruth loved musical theatre and always wanted to see a real Broadway show. This dream was realized during an all-girl trip to New York City in 2009. She had many precious memories from these and many other vacations, cruises, camping adventures, and road trips to Gabriola Island, BC to visit her mom and Phil.
Ruth lost her dear husband on June 15, 2021, a week before their 65th wedding anniversary. In early November 2021, Ruth moved to an assisted living home in Edmonton to be closer to family. Following a 6 week stay in Leduc Hospital, health concerns dictated a transfer to Leduc Extendicare on April 14. She died peacefully on May 15, joining Don in their dance through eternity.
Ruth was also predeceased by her parents Donald and Lida McAskill, her stepfather Philip Duchesnay, sister and brother-in-law Geraldine and Mark Zlatteff, sister and brother-in-law Lois and Wally Tuck, sister and brother-in-law Joyce Bamlett and Bill Morphy, brother and sister-in- law Wesley and Irene Cook, son-in-law Rev. Roger Kett, brothers-in-law Glen Brown and Donald Johnson, stepbrother Ed Duchesnay, and many beloved brothers- and sisters-in-law on the Siferd side.
Left to cherish Ruth’s memory are her children Pat (Bernie Krewski), Tim (Kathleen Martin), Peggy (Al Martin), sisters Eleanor Brown and June Johnson, sister-in-law Dolores Duchesnay, brother-in-law Jack Siferd (Barbara Nadin), her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, special friends Margaret and Donald Bamber and her many other dear friends and colleagues.
A service will be held on June 4, 2022, at the South Side Memorial Chapel in Edmonton at 4:00 pm.
On June 5th , a service will be held in the Oyen Senior’s Rec Centre at 1:30 pm, followed by the interment at Oyen Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to: The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories, 306, 10430 - 61 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6H 2J3,
Oyen and District Health Care Foundation, Box 150, Oyen, AB T0J 2J0, or to a charity of the Donor’s Choice.
Funeral Arrangements in the care of South Side Memorial Chapel, Edmonton, and MacLean’s Funeral Home, Oyen.