Billings Gazette Billings, MT 3 Aug 2007 Ruth Ann (Kuntz) Buckalew, age 82, of Billings, formerly of Forsyth, died suddenly on Saturday, July 28, 2007, at Deaconess Hospital Emergency, after falling ill at home. Ruth was one of 12 children born April 23, 1925, to John and Elizabeth Kuntz on the homestead west of Forsyth. On March 23, 1941, Ruth married Floyd "Elmer" Buckalew in Forsyth. To this union, six children were born. Elmer and Ruth spent the first years of their marriage in Forsyth, where five of their six children were born, Elmer working in the bakery and on the railroad and Ruth being a homemaker and mother. In 1954, they moved to Glendive, where Elmer worked again as a baker and Ruth worked at several jobs to supplement the family income. In 1957, Ruth and Elmer took over the management of the bakery and restaurant in Glendive. When their contract ended in 1959, they chose not to renew but decided to move to Roundup to operate another bakery. This business endeavor, however, turned out not to be profitable, so in 1960, they moved to Billings, where they both found employment. Ruth and Elmer both looked forward to summer as one of their favorite pastimes was fishing and picnicking. Ruth also looked forward to holidays, where all the kids and grandkids would come and she would have big family meals. Mom was a great cook, so she never had to worry about there being an empty chair at the table or having to look for place to put the leftovers as there weren't very many. Elmer died of a heart attack in 1973 and Ruth struggled for the next few years trying to make ends meet as she still had a teenage son, Mike, living at home. In 1981 Ruth met John Peters and began the next phase of her life. They lived in Miles City and spent a lot of time gardening, crocheting (Ruth), market watching (John) and playing cards. They then started traveling and went to a great many of the states, including Alaska, Texas, California, Washington, Indiana, Kansas and Nevada and many places in between. John passed away in 1997 and Ruth stayed on in Miles City for a while, but ultimately decided to move back to Billings to be closer to her family. She spent the past few years traveling, working on ceramics and entering pieces in shows with her daughter-in-law Alice and playing at the casinos and just enjoying life in general. Ruth will be greatly missed by family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Elmer and John; children, Floyd Jr. and Sandra; and infant daughter. All of her siblings preceded her in death except two of her sisters, Betty of California and Suzy of Kalispell. She is survived by her children, Ruth Wickstrom, Puyallup, Wash., Betty (Gary) Hudson, Roundup, George (Lori) Buckalew, Colstrip, Mike (Alice) Buckalew, Billings, Paulette Buckalew (daughter-in-law), Newburgh, Ind. Ruth also has 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting www.stevensonandsons.com. If one wishes, memorials can be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the Disabled Vets of America. Visitation will be held on Friday, Aug. 3, from 1 to 7 p.m., in the chapel of Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Forsyth. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 1 p.m., at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Forsyth. Rite of Committal will follow in the Forsyth Cemetery. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home of Forsyth is in charge of these arrangements.