Ruth Nichols

Ruth (Geil) Nichols, 90 passed away peacefully Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at Edgewater Retirement Community in West Des Moines. She was born to Malcolm and Gussie Johnson on October 13, 1923. She was raised in Des Moines where she attended Lincoln High School where she was elected their 2nd homecoming queen in 1941. During WWll, she worked at Fort Des Moines Army Base in Intelligence, Operations, and Training.

She married Rolland Geil in 1946 raising three children, Dick, Jon, and Tom. Ruth spent most of the 50’s raising the three boys, and in the late 60's worked at the south side Hyatt House as a Sales Manager. Later, she was employed at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Community Relations. Prior to that, Ruth worked for Brooks, Borg & Skiles as Director of Business Development.

She moved west in1974 to California after the boys were in college, and made that her home for nearly 40 years. She sold real estate which gave her real enjoyment, and she always had her eye out looking for that special property. She met and married Wendell “Bun” Nichols in 1990 and together they maintained homes in Idaho and California for most of the next decade calling Idaho her main home.

Cruising and playing cards were very memorable and enjoyable pastimes for both of them. They always enjoyed their time with family and friends enriching lives as the years passed. Ruth stayed in Boise fulltime until 2004 and then moved back to her beloved California. In 2012, she moved back to Des Moines to be with family. Wherever she lived, she made lifelong friendships that she maintained throughout her life. Her son Jon and husband preceded her in death. She is survived by her sons, Dick and Tom, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, 5400 SW 9th Street. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service Saturday at the funeral home. A private family burial will take place at Norwalk Cemetery.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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