Ruby I. Yates

YATES, Ruby I. 4/19/1942 - 4/16/2020 Ruby lived a long exciting life these last 77 years. She was born in North Platte, Nebraska and lived in Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, and California throughout her life. She circled back to Omaha for her last years and enjoyed reconnecting with friends and family. Ruby worked as a secretary for a while and was proficient in shorthand which would now be a lost art. She was a nanny for some families over the years and also worked in the beauty salon industry. Ruby enjoyed animals of all sorts and almost always had a dog or cat. At one time, she was involved in Greyhound rescue and had a few Greyhound dogs rescued off the racing tracks when living in Colorado. Prior to that, she had a St. Bernard dog along with Cocker Spaniels. Her latest passion was her Sphynx cats. She owned five of these in Omaha, and her last cat is now living with her son, David. She was very kind to animals and had a big heart in this regard. Ruby was adopted by Floyd and Virginia Smith at the age of 11. They changed her middle name from Helene to Irene. She reconnected with her biological family later in life, but also remained connected to her adoptive family. She was raised in Omaha on a large estate referred to as an orchard. The family owned half the block and it was thick with apple trees, raspberry bushes, rabbits and flowers. She later moved back into the same house on Ohio Street and brought it up to more modern standards. The old brick house has seen a lot of life. Ruby enjoyed movies of all kinds. It was not unusual for her to watch 5 movies in a day, and be ready for more. She would nest into the couch, gather popcorn and drinks, and settle in for “movie day”. She was a good cook and made great pork chops. She loved Vanilla Creamer in her coffee. Ruby will be missed and was a friend to many. Services will be at a later date, most likely early summer. Ruby is survived by her daughter Wendy Kay Nicastle and husband Larry Nicastle, son David Donald Bardell and her grandson, William Matthew Lueth. She also has any other relatives and friends. A memorial service will be held at a later date.