Ruth Ione Brooks

Ruth Ione Brooks, 102, of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away at her home on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 with her granddaughters at her side. She was one month shy of her 103rd birthday.

Services will be Tuesday, September 17 at 11:00 a.m. at Mohr Becker Hunt Funeral Home in South Sioux City, NE. Visitation with family present will be at 10:00 a.m. Interment of ashes will be in the Kingsley Cemetery in Kingsley, IA after a luncheon at the funeral home. Anyone who would like to join the family for this is welcome.

Ruth was born October 8, 1921 in rural South Sioux City, NE to Warren and Jenny (Rounds) Mills. As an infant, the family moved to a farm near Kingsley, Iowa where she grew up and learned the value of hard work. Ruth left school after the 8th grade to be her daddy’s “hired hand” on the farm.

As a young woman, she worked various jobs, including as a shoe saleswoman and also as a dance instructor for Arthur Murray Dance Studios. She also worked many years at the Swift packing house in Sioux City.

Two early marriages produced 2 sons: Robert Lowell (Bob or Rob) and Ricky Lee (Rick). They were her pride and joy. She then married Larry Becker, and together they raised his 3 children, Gary, Rebecca (Becky) and Linda. The family moved to California in the early 1960’s, where Ruth and Larry opened a business called Portable Lube servicing semi trucks. She also worked in an airplane parts factory during this time. She liked to take her boat on the ocean and even caught a small shark once and had the picture to prove it!

Ruth moved back to Iowa when her oldest grandchildren were growing up. She brought her boat with her, and would take the grand kids out on the lake on fishing/camping trips. She helped care for her mother in her final years. During this time, she also began providing care to elderly people to allow them to stay in their homes.

In the early 1980’s, Ruth moved back to California to be closer to her youngest grandchildren and watch them grow up. She continued doing home health care, and worked closely with the county health nurse, recruiting other home health care providers. She truly loved this work.

When Ruth was in her late 80’s, she finally retired from home health, and moved back to Iowa for the last time. She continued helping others by being a Senior Companion where she would take clients to their appointments, take them to the grocery store, or just visit with them. She received a Presidential Call to Service Award and a letter from the President for all of her volunteer service hours. She was very proud of being a Senior Companion and loved helping her clients as much as they loved her. She loved hanging out with her granddaughters. She also loved yard sales, and we’d spend many Saturdays hitting up all the sales in town in search of bargains! One of the casinos is where you’d find her every New Years Eve!

When Ruth was 92, she suffered a minor stroke that left her unable to drive, and affected her short term memory. As a result, she had to give up her driver’s license and her Senior Companion volunteer job. She moved into assisted living, where she then became caretaker to anyone that needed help. She’s been affectionately known as “Ruthie” in her assisted living community ever since. She was loved by all who knew here there. She then got her own Senior Companion, Connie. They loved going out for lunch, especially to Sneaky’s (she could eat chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy about every day!) and Harvey’s, where she always got the hot beef sandwich. 

Her greatest joy in her later years was attending her great-great granddaughters’ sporting events. She loved to go to the games so she could love up on them. She loved them all so much, as they loved her. 

Ruth was a kind, caring person that always put others’ needs above her own. She fiercely loved her family, and was so proud of them and their accomplishments. She was also the toughest woman we’ve ever known. She could do everything from building kids’ toy boxes, to working on her own car when necessary, to patching her own roof when it sprung a leak! When asked the secret to her longevity, she would always say “good, hard work all my life” and later, “weekly adjustments from my favorite chiropractor”, her great grandson, Adam, whom she credited with “keeping her upright”!

Left to cherish her memory is her son Rick (Pam) Brooks of Phoenix, AZ; grandchildren Robin Bobier and Rhonda Hattig both of South Sioux City, NE; Dylan Brooks (Carolyn Wainwright) of New Orleans, LA; Amber (Geoffrey) Hansen of Honolulu, HI; Mariah (Liam) Maindonald of Scottsdale, AZ; Edel Brooks (Amos Dyer) of Battle Creek, MI; and Coral Brooks of Santa Margarita, CA; great grandchildren Jason (Bri) Bobier and their children Kaydence, Kamdyn, Layton, Hudsyn, and Emersyn of South Sioux City, NE; Brianna (Desmond) Hayes and their children Alexa, Ava, and Amiyah of Sioux City, Iowa; Adam (Tricia) Bobier of South Sioux City, NE; Cody (Jenny) Hattig and their daughter Raelynn of Sioux City, IA; and Brooks and Lyric Wilcox of Battle Creek, MI; her special sister-in-law, Jan Mills(affectionately called Jannie by Ruth) of Surprise, AZ; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; all of her siblings, Richard (Dick & Lucille) Mills, Jay (Doris) Mills, Irene (Carl) Jensen, Jack (Dee) Mills, Bonnie (George) Case, Robert (Bob) Mills, and Joy Mills; her son, Bob Brooks; her daughter-in-law Celene Brooks; grandchildren Rochelle (Shelly) Brooks and Jill Brooks; grandsons-in-law Ronnie Bobier and Bill Hattig. 

The family would like to thank St. Croix Hospice for their support during this time. We would also like to extend our deepest appreciation to the staff of Prime Assisted Living for the wonderful care she received in her final days, allowing her to stay in her own home. The kindness they showed can never be repaid.