Ruby Jewell Tucker

Ruby Jewell Tucker, 86, went to heaven on September 3, 2020, surrounded by family and angels, after a long battle with Alzheimer's.

Ruby was born on January 2, 1934 near Thayer, MO on a family farm.  She was the daughter of Bernard and Alpha Johnson. She has one sister named Rosalie Johnson Brown.

In her early years, she lived the simple life on the farm in the Ozarks of Missouri. She and her sister were best friends and playmates. Her mom wanted to be closer to her family so they moved the family to Sentinel, OK in 1944. After graduating high school, she moved to St. Louis and lived with her Aunt Doodie and Uncle Lawrence and attended a business school to learn the secretarial trade.

In 1955, she moved to Kansas City to work for Trans World Airlines(TWA) and worked there for 10 years. In 1958, she began dating Buford "Bud" Tucker. Bud knew Ruby was the girl for him. She was gorgeous, intelligent, a good Christian girl, and she wanted a family. They married on June 4, 1960 and took a honeymoon in the Bahamas. Over the next several years Bud began his career as an architect, they moved to Shawnee, Kansas, their children were born and Ruby quit working and become a full-time mom.

In 1961, they welcomed their first child Julie. Shortly after in 1963 they built a home at the beautiful lake community of Black Swan Estates in Shawnee, KS. Bud designed the house and Ruby's dad helped build it. Her son Jim was born in 1963, Jana in 1964 and John in 1966. Ruby was a very loving and selfless mother. Being a mother was the joy of her life. She raised the four children loving nature and swimming at the lake. She was a Montessori school teacher, a bible school teacher, a Brownie and Girl Scout leader. She was a devoted and involved mom.

She was an artist and loved nature. She would take us on nature walks around the lake and then we would come back home and make collages with what we found.

Every summer day, she would pack our lunches and we'd spend the day at the pool/lake. She wore a wide brimmed hat, even in the water. She could float for hours. She protected her children by carrying a 6 inch spike to ward off snapping turtles.

Ruby survived her kid's teenage years, including the wild one John, with patience, love and a sense of humor. She was never judgmental. She was always loving and kind. She was proud all 4 of her kids graduated college.

As a teenager in Oklahoma, she became a Christian and a member of the Church of Christ. She developed a strong faith and was a life long member of the Church of Christ. After she was married in 1963, she became a member of the Overland  Park Church of Christ. They were faithful members there for 57 years. Ruby and Bud shared the religious heritage in the Church of Christ. Bud confessed his faith as a teenager also and they had very common beliefs. Throughout their 60 years of marriage, Bud always considered Ruby his rock, his harbor in the storm and his spiritual confidant. Often Ruby interceded at his request to help him spiritually.

Over the years Ruby was blessed with 13 grandchildren-5 boys and 8 girls. They were the joy of her life. Her bosom  was the best sleeping spot for all the newborn grandchildren. She has always been part of her grandchildren's lives-watching them mature into young adults.

Her greatest love was for family, friends and church. She will be greatly missed by all.

Ruby is survived by her husband Bud Tucker, daughter and son-in law Julie & Niles Burkett, son Jim Tucker, daughter and son-in -law Jana & Jeff Chaltas, and son and daughter-in-law John & Kristen Tucker.

She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tara & Justin Hawkins, Bryan & Bridget Burkett, Mitchell Burkett, Tatum Kelley  and Thomas Miller, Jessika Tucker, Brock, Erica, Heather and Zane Chaltas, Ethan, Eva, Emmeline and Elloise Tucker. Great-grandchildren Theo and Griffin Miller.

Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at the Amos Family Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers please donate to one of the following organizations.

Alzheimer's Association
act.alz.org

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
PO Box 50
Memphis TN 38101-9929
stjude.org/donatetoday

Churches Of Christ Disaster Relief Effort Inc.
PO BOX 111180
Nashville, TN 37222-1180