Ruth Ann Metcalf

Ruth Ann (Griffin) Metcalf, or Ruthie, passed away Sunday morning, January 15, 2017. She lived with grace and humor, no matter what life threw her way. Her kitchen table was a destination for anybody who wanted to sit and visit. Ruth was a kind, empathetic soul who accepted everyone just as they were.

On August 15, 1933, Ruth was born to Guy and Bessie (Suddarth) Griffin in Bozeman. As a girl, Ruth lived on the corner of Rouse and what now is Griffin Drive. Ruth attended Story Mill, Hawthorne, and Gallatin County High Schools. Ruth married John Raymond Metcalf, the love of her life, and together they raised three daughters, Julie, Nancy, and Naomi. Ruth was a dedicated wife and mother who wept when she read sad stories to her children, laughed as she sang songs with them, and read voraciously. Ruth sent her daughters to school every day for 12 years with lunches she prepared: sandwiches, neatly wrapped in wax paper, her homemade pickles, and dessert. She always had supper ready, and made sure the family had lively and informative conversations around the table. Besides nurturing family and friends, she kept her paperwork, her house, her wardrobe, her car, and everything she owned in meticulous order.

In 1995, Ruth retired as a Chief Deputy of Gallatin County Clerk of the Court after a successful career at the courthouse. She later worked as a bailiff in the district court. As a young woman, Ruth worked as a bookkeeper for Northern Auto, and later for the Bozeman Livestock Commission.

Ruth volunteered 30 years as an Election Judge for the county. She was an early member of the Gallatin County Democrat Central Committee, the Legion Auxiliary, and the Sourdough Zoning Committee. Ruth volunteered for the Cancer Society, organizing her class reunions, and at the Gallatin History Museum. As Ruth aged, she enjoyed her card-club friends, long talks with her grown daughters, trips to visit the grandkids, parties, the funnies, cooking, and gardening. The last 18 months of her life, Ruth resided in the memory unit at Highgate Senior Living Center where she soon became a favorite with her smile and loving attitude.

Ruth is survived by her husband John, 84, of Bozeman; daughters Julie (Jeff) Chaffee, Nancy (Gabriel) Loeza, and Naomi (Ross) Gaunt; grandchildren John and Carolyn Chaffee, Leslie (Chris) Gamel, and Gaby (Jordan) Hidde; great grandchildren Diego and Leo Gamel, and Elise Hidde; an older sister and brother Lois (Griffin) Anderson, William “Bill” Griffin, and younger brother John Griffin. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents and infant sister Julia, and three older brothers all whom served in WWII: Tim, Paul “Buzz”, and Charles “Chuck”, who was killed in Okinawa.

A memorial service will be held at Dahl Funeral Chapel this Friday, January 20th at 2 p.m. We hope that all who knew Ruth will attend. We will always carry Ruth in our hearts, and remember how she encouraged and loved us beyond measure. Wait for us dear, somewhere very near, just round the corner (Scott-Holland, 1910).Memorials can be made to Bozeman Deaconess Hospice, and The Livingston Railroad Museum.