Obituary
Ruth Ann Armstrong Geiger passed away the evening of Monday, April 10, 2023, following several years of dementia that slowly diminished the opportunity to enjoy those years with the family to which she had so lovingly been wife, mother, and grandmother. At her side during her
last hours were her sons, Michael and Gregory, and her husband, Lee.
Ruth was born in Grafton, North Dakota to Walter John Armstrong and Vera McKechney Armstrong on November 29, 1942. She was raised near Glasston, ND where she attended a one-room school and enjoyed the freedom to study the classwork presented above her grade level. Her high school years were spent in nearby Cavalier, ND. As editor of her high school yearbook, Ruth submitted drawings to and got permission from the Peanuts creator, Charles Schultz, to use her own drawings of the Peanut characters throughout the yearbook. This was also, where she first met her future husband, Lee, who took an immediate liking to her as they became devoted friends. They married on September 1, 1963.
Ruth graduated from Moorhead State College in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Education and Art Education. She received recognition for academic and leadership achievements.
In 1966, Ruth and Lee moved to Everett, Washington where their children, Gregory, Kirsten, and Michael, were born. Ruth was employed in the Art Department of Everett Community College. Her passions were her children, painting, teaching art, her Christian faith, and sewing projects. She incorporated them into years of teaching Sunday school and volunteering to teach art to young children.
In 1974, the family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota where Ruth immediately resumed her volunteer work at schools and church. Her volunteer work included providing neighborhood art classes during the summer, founding youth art sessions as "Art in the Park" at Memorial Park, art programs at the YMCA, creative Sunday school for all ages at First United Methodist Church, and creating a playground and Arts & Crafts tent at the Central States Fair. Ruth’s work ethic started at an early age with her working her way through high school and college and continued as she started her own businesses in Rapid City.
In 1978 she opened the retail store “Designers Too” on Main Street, featuring unique European and Scandinavian home products and silkscreen art. In 1987 she added artwork and picture framing to the store, and in 1990 closed the retail store to focus entirely on art framing as the “Main Frame Shop”. She was a visual artist and created oil & acrylic paintings, ink drawings, handmade paper, and quilting. She shared these talents with her grandchildren every chance she had. Some of her last projects included drawing homes for the "Parade of Homes" in Rapid City.
Ruth is survived by her husband, Lee; her son, Gregory Geiger and grandsons, Evan and Noah; her daughter, Kirsten Geiger (Fred) Winters and grandchildren, Zach, Emily, and Josh; her son, Michael Geiger; and her sister, Elois Sondrol. Her parents, Walter and Vera Armstrong,
predeceased her.
A celebratory memorial service will be held on May 30th at 1 pm, at First United Methodist Church at 629 Kansas City St., Rapid City, SD.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Ruth Geiger’s memory to The Alzheimer's Gene Resource at ApoE4.Info and to extend the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen would be greatly appreciated. As caregivers to Ruth, we would like to recommend his books, in particular: The End of
Alzheimer's Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at Any Age by Dale Bredesen and David Perlmutter.
If you’d prefer to send a check:
ApoE4.Info, Inc.
Attn: Marc Rouleau
946 NW 44th Ave, Camas, WA 98607.
Or online at https://www.apoe4.info/donate/