Ruby Hlousek

R. Irene Finney Hlousek was born Feb. 10, 1931 to John and Emma Finney in Sturgis, SD, the youngest of 3 children. Irene, (Ruby Irene), was named by her oldest brother. She grew up on a rural Meade County ranch living a real pioneer lifestyle. Her strength of character, tenacity and determination was learned there and impacted the rest of her life. But underneath that outer shell was a heart of compassion as well as unmatched support for the underdog. As a child, she attended a one room country school. She went on to graduate from high school and then college at Black Hills Teachers College in Spearfish, SD with a degree in education. That degree was used as a springboard for a lifetime of working in various educational fields, even in China for a year. She was also involved in a myriad of community organizations such as 4-H, Grange, Church, Retired Teachers, Cascadians, Republican Women, Grassroots Yakima Valley, Red Hat society and others. Following her retirement Irene became a world traveler. She often shared her adventures in traveling in each continent with her friends. On Nov. 20, 2015, Irene’s earthly journey was complete. She exchanged here earthly home for a heavenly home. She is survived by her son Craig Ray Hlousek. She was preceded in death by her parents, both brothers an infant son and an adult son, Jerry. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Nov. 23, 2015 at the Nazarene Church of Zillah WA with a fellowship time to follow. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ruby Hlousek, please visit our flower store.