Ruth Jackson

December 22, 2020

Ruth Bernice Jackson, nee Dumler, 96, of Fort Collins, CO died peacefully in her sleep on December 22, 2020 at Collinwood Assisted Living in Fort Collins. Ruth was born in Russell, KS on March 3, 1924 to Gottfried Dumler, Jr. and Bertha Deines Dumler. The family relocated to Fort Collins, CO where Ruth spent her childhood. Ruth was married on September 1, 1945 to Floyd Oliver Jackson, a na tive of Hammon, OK. She is survived by four children: Dennis K. Jackson and wife, Esther (Goodyear, AZ); Jamie Jackson Pridgen and husband, Gene (Charlotte, NC); Kevin D. Jackson and wife, Rose (La Quinta, CA); Linnea Jackson Hennessy and husband, Terry (Severance, CO); by 14 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and one on the way; and by her sister Eileen Dumler Stith (Bend, OR). Ruth graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1942. She met Floyd through friends at a dance. They dated and became engaged before Floyd left to serve in the US Army in North Africa, Sicily and Italy in World War II. During the war years, Ruth spent the summers in in Estes Park, CO, working for the telephone company. Sponsored by her employer, she was named “Miss Estes Park.” When Floyd returned after the war, they married and moved to Cheyenne, WY where they shared 56 years until Floyd passed away in 2002. Making Cheyenne home, she was a loving wife and mother, a good neighbor, an active community volunteer and a dedicated civil servant. From 1960-1981 she was a switchboard operator and supervisor for the Strategic Air Command at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. Ruth was a devoted member of First Baptist Church where she sang in the choir, served as a deaconess, and taught Sunday School. She brought joyful creativity to her work on many church banquets, wedding receptions and youth events. She was known for her hospitality, her light-hearted spirit, and her generosity. She sang and she danced, snapping her fingers in the ‘40s style. She was a sports fan, a bowler, and a “card shark,” much to the delight of her children and grandchildren. She was loving and she was loved. She knew the meaning of home. The Jackson family wishes to extend appreciation and many thanks to Collinwood Assisted Living for their gentle care of Ruth in her last three years of life. The family will plan a celebration of her life for a future time.