Ruth G. Dankey, 99, of Sioux City, Iowa, and formerly of Woonsocket, passed away Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at the Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City.
The funeral Mass was held Saturday, April 29, in St. Wilfrid Catholic Church at Woonsocket, and burial was in St. Wilfrid Catholic Cemetery. Visitation, with a scripture service at 6:30 p.m., was Friday, April 28, at the Basham Funeral Home in Woonsocket, and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Ruth was born Dec. 16, 1917, in Wessington Springs, to George and Anna (Kruse) Nelson. She came to Sanborn County with her parents in 1920, attended rural school at Jackson No. 3, and graduated from Woonsocket Public School in 1935. That summer, she worked as extra help in the county agent’s office, which was a part of the Sanborn County Agriculture Adjustment Agency. Later, she attended Northwest College of Commerce in Huron and then returned to the AAA office, where she was head clerk and later appointed secretary-treasurer  until she resigned in 1947.
Ruth married William G. Dankey on June 12, 1947, and they resided in Wessington Springs for two years, where Bill was principal of the high school. In 1949, they moved to the Dankey farm, where they assisted with the farming operation. They were the parents of two children, Richard, who lost his life during the Vietnam War, and Judy.
The couple built a home on the farm and resided there until 1993, when they moved to Prairie View Apartments in Woonsocket. Bill passed away March 1, 2001, and Ruth remained in the apartment until 2005, when she moved to an apartment in Sioux City to be near her daughter.
Ruth was a member of St. Wilfrid Catholic Church and Altar Society, Catholic Daughters of America, American Legion Auxiliary, Senior Citizens, Community Clerk, served on the school reorganization committee, assisted in the production of the Woonsocket Centennial Book, was a member of the American Cancer Society for over 50 years, the Prairie View Care Center Auxiliary, and was active in the 4-H program and in school functions. While in Sioux City, Ruth was a member of the Church of the Nativity and the women’s guild. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, hand work, gardening and flowers, playing cards and visiting.
Ruth is survived by her daughter, Judy (Keith) Macziewski; two grandsons; three great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews, Douglas (Kay) Moe, Patricia Knigge, Joe (Carol) Dankey, Robert Dankey, Leonard (Joanne) Dankey, Marilyn Moor and Dorothy Ann (Gary) Brosti.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William; her parents; sister, Kathryn (Delbert) Moe; two brothers, Harold Arther and George Bernard, who died in infancy; nephew, Ray Knigge; and brother and sisters-in-law, Joe Dankey, Mary Dankey, Bernard and Florence Dankey, Leo and Evie Dankey, Rose and Marian Meyer and Leonard and Dorothy Dankey.