Ruth Evelyn (Buffaloe) Barnard was born on April 11, 1924 to Benjamin Emmett and Iona (Miller) Buffaloe in Maysville, OK. She passed away on January 30, 2013 at Bell Avenue Nursing Home in Elk City, OK at the age of 88 years, 9 months and 19 days.
Ruth was the second oldest of four children. The Buffaloe family moved to Leedey from Maysville before Ruth's first birthday. She spent her entire childhood in the Leedey area, graduating from Leedey High School in 1941.
On July 22, 1943 she married Ashley Barnard at Hammon, OK. Three children were born to this union; Eddie, Daryl and Lyle. Daryl Keith was born in 1947, but only lived for one short day. Ruth and Ashley attended church at the Liberty Center Baptist Church.
The family lived in Leedey twelve years before moving to Porterville, CA in 1955. While in California Ashley was the foreman of a potato harvesting crew. Ruth and the boys helped with harvesting. After four long years in California the family returned to Leedey.
In the following years Ruth worked at Trego's in Woodward, she later worked at the north grocery store in Leedey while it was under at least four different owners. She also helped on the farm and occasionally drove the hay truck for the boys when needed, but it was pretty hard to get much hay stacked when you were on your knees.
Ruth sewed many a western shirt, keeping the entire family outfitted. She also enjoyed crocheting. All the grandkids had numerous pairs of crocheted house shoes. Genealogy was also a passion of Ruth's. She spent many hours compiling family history and corresponding with distant relatives. She was always a kid at heart, never too busy for a story, a game of cards or a board game. If you came over she was always willing to "pour a little water in the soup"!
Ruth was preceded in death by her husband of over 63 years, Ashley; infant son, Daryl Keith; her parents Emmett and Iona Buffaloe; two sisters and their husbands, Barbara and Bill Axton and Oleta and Edsel Price and one brother Troy Buffaloe. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Eddie and Mary Lou Barnard and Lyle and Judy Barnard all of Leedey; one sister-in-law , Pauline Buffaloe of El Reno; five grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren; and a host of other family and friends.
In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to the Leedey Ambulance Service or Leedey Education Foundation at the Bank of the West in Leedey.
Graveside services will be held Sunday, February 3, 2013, 2:00 at New Herman Cemetery in Leedey, OK. Services arranged by Shaw Funeral Home, Leedey, Oklahoma.