Ruby M. Baumgart of Grass Valley, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the morning of September 15th, 2022. Ruby was also welcomed home by her beloved husband, Bill Baumgart, and son Bob. Ruby’s life began on a farm, in Union, Nebraska, July 16, 1931 to George and Dorothy Everett. Ruby’s ambition to be independent and successful started when she was just eleven years old, first, she gave her life to Jesus, at church and then she decided to be water baptized at a tent revival. Ruby then decided she wanted to work at the bakery in town, before going to school. Ruby secured her self a job, getting up very early, every morning before school, doing dishes and cleaning up. Ruby was eventually taught by the head Baker, how to bake everything in the counter. Ruby also liked waiting on the customers, when the front got busy.

It was at this bakery that she learned she had a very special gift with the customers, with baking, being honest and working very hard.

Ruby had a very special relationship with one of the customers, who had very busy children, and a husband to take care of. Ruby just loved this customer and eventually started helping her after school with her children. As Ruby got older, she began to take on more chores at this woman’s home. Ruby then started cooking dinner and dessert for the family, at the age of 13. Ruby was asked to live there, and become their Nanny. Ruby happily accepted, and lived there full time until she graduated from high school.

In first grade, she met a boy, named Billy Baumgart, who told her he was going to marry her some day. They were great friends all through out their school years, but it was when she was the Senior Homecoming Queen, at Plattsmouth High School, that she started dating Bill Baumgart. One year after they graduated, Bill asked Ruby to marry him, and she said yes!

Bill and Ruby married on June 17th, 1950, and then moved to Huntington Beach, California. Ruby got a job at American Decca Records, at Decca’s height of success in 1951. Ruby thoroughly enjoyed her job of interviewing potential stars, to possibly make a record with Decca. Ruby loved her job for the next 2 years, but she loved her Bill more, and they decided they wanted to start a family. Their son Bill Jr was born in 1953, then along came Bob and then a little girl, they named Bette, after Bill’s sister. This was Ruby’s complete joy and passion for the next 16 years. Ruby and Bill eventually landed in a little town named Grass Valley, California. It was in Grass Valley that they planted their feet firmly in the ground from 1959 to 2022. Ruby was part of the leadership of the famous “Hot Dog Lunches” that were a big favorite with all the school kids. Ruby then decided to run for P.T.A. President, and won 2 years in a row, 1966-1968. Ruby then became a great force to get a bond issue passed in Grass Valley, to build a new grade school. Ruby led the force by dividing up the phone book and calling every single person who had a phone, to convince them to vote yes to pass the bond, to build what eventually became Lyman Gilmore Middle School in Grass Valley. Ruby was also very active with her husband Bill, in helping start the Grass Valley Penguin Swim Team. Bill helped with Coaching and Ruby helped organize swim meets with other swim clubs. In July of 1969, Bill came home from his Meat Manager job at Safeway, and told Ruby that a little store called Martins Market was going up for sale, and he wanted to buy the store, and run it with Ruby. And they did just that! They named the store Bill’s Market, and made that store the very best little grocery store ever! Bill had aged beef and top quality meats and cheeses in his meat shop and Ruby ran the front end. Together they were very, very successful, and it was there that they started their catering business, Whistle Stop Deli and Catering Company. One of their biggest events to cater was the “Bank of America” opening a new branch in Grass Valley, and they hired Ruby and Bill to cater the town, with a firm number of 5,000 people coming through the food line! Ruby’s menu was Roast Baron of Beef, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Salad with fresh marinated mushrooms, large poached fresh Prawns with cocktail sauce, fresh melons, pineapple and berries, fresh rolls, butter and plum cake with fresh whipped cream for dessert!

It was a fantastic success, and their Catering business took off like crazy! So much that they needed to build a new building for this business that was growing leaps and bounds. They purchased property 1977 and built a commercial building on Colfax Avenue and then opened up Whistle Stop Deli and Catering Company in 1979. Bringing in fresh deli meats, cheeses, fresh roasted coffees to grind fresh, pressed coffee makers, and fresh Jelly Bellies, from the Bay Area, sold in bulk, and delicious sandwiches, warm bbq chicken and ribs, fresh deli salads made daily, cheese cake, and brownies. They also specialized with the newly California Napa Valley wines and imported beers from around the world. Ruby and Bill would go to the shows in San Francisco, and Los Angeles, for buying supplies, when Ruby started purchasing gift items, to sell, along with all the deli items. And the gift items she would pick, sold out like crazy, to the point, Ruby needed to start another business, selling fine gifts, and they called it “Ruby’s Fine Gifts”.

Boy did “Ruby’s Gifts” really take off, and Ruby loved loved loved her gift store. Eventually Ruby and Bill sold the Bill’s Market and the Whistle Stop Deli and Catering, moving the gift shop to a much larger location in the Brunswick basin shopping center, and then to a larger location, taking over the huge Sizzler Steak building, and Ruby gutted it out and redesigned it into the most beautiful “Ruby’s Gifts” store. Ruby would have an open house every October to kick off her Christmas Season, where several hundreds of people would come from all over the U.S. to shop! Her style and amazing ability to purchase what every one wanted, was phenomenal, and she (and Bill) were loved by all her customers.

Ruby and Bill had a wonderful time traveling all over the United States, buying gift items, silk flowers, crystal, fine dining ware, lamps, mirrors, lit artificial Christmas trees, Christmas ornaments, Easter gifts, clothes, scarfs, hats, and on and on!Ruby and Bill then started to travel outside the U.S. to China, Japan, and European countries, purchasing items for her gift store. They also loved to travel in their motor home and taking cruises together. They spent every single day, 24 hours a day with each other, and they loved it! They were that couple people would see and say, what a beautiful marriage they have! My Mom and Dad said that they just keep falling in love, over and over and over again. And they did, for just a couple months short of their 70th Wedding Anniversary. They had a most beautiful life together, and their genuine, deep, passionate love, for each other, affected everyone they met. They were honest business people who gave their all to their customers. There wasn’t anything Ruby and Bill wouldn’t try to do for you. They were loving, kind and generous parents to their three children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Ruby (and Bill) are survived by their son Bill Jr, daughter Bette and Hank Easton, daughter in law Arlene, grandchildren, Vanessa Best, Alix Best, Joe Easton, Brandon Baumgart, Nathaniel Baumgart. Great grandchildren Lilly, Jackson and Kailer Best Amiot. They will be joined in Heaven with Bob Baumgart and Tom Easton.