Ruby Irene Emmart

Ruby Irene Emmart, age 95, passed away peacefully at Homestead Assisted Living Memory Care on Thursday, February 7, 2013. Ruby was born April 5, 1917, to Pete & Lillie Heidecker of Paola, KS. She graduated from Paola High School in 1935 and taught one year at Vickers Country School where she had also been a student thru the eighth grade. On July 1, 1936, she married John Emmart, Jr. of Fontana, KS and after 16 years of marriage had one daughter, Eunice. They lived on a farm a few miles north of Fontana where she & John lived until his death in 1975. John & Ruby both loved farming and Ruby also loved flowers and gardening. She enjoyed being active in the Fontana PTA, the Fontana Methodist Church and was quite active with the Harmony Homemakers Club. Ruby stayed on the family farm after Johns death for a few more years and then moved to Paola where she lived for almost 30 years. While living in Paola, she enjoyed activities with the Paola Senior Citizens. In 2005, Ruby moved to Greenwood Retirement Village in Lenexa to be closer to her family. After three hip fractures, she found it necessary to move to Homestead Assisted Living where she resided until her death. Ruby especially loved her grandsons and loved spending time with her family. She also took great joy in telling people she was a great-grandmother. Ruby had grown up in the Lutheran faith and during her later years, Ruby joined the Paola Lutheran Church where she said she felt like she had "come home". She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband John; her two brothers Ernie and Percy Heidecker; and nephew Duane Heidecker. She is survived by her only daughter Eunice Collins and husband Ron of Olathe. She was also survived by her three grandsons John of Olathe, Matt of Kansas City, MO and Chris Collins and wife Alyson of Olathe. She also had two great granddaughters Mallory, 3, and Clarissa, 9 months. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Paola Lutheran Church or Hospice, both in care of the funeral home. To leave a special message for the family online, please go to the share memories tab.