Ruby Hieb, of Granite Falls, passed away Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Granite Falls Care Center at the age of 88. Memorial services will be held Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Granite Falls Lutheran Church in Granite Falls, MN. Pastor Sarah Tadé will officiate and burial will be in the Granite Falls City Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Arrangements are with Anderson – TeBeest Funeral Home of Granite Falls.
On a fall sunny day in 1938, (brother) Arthur and (sister) Pauline were sent to the neighbor’s farm while Helen (Koch) Brunz and Adolph Brunz welcomed a baby girl to the farm. Most people would say it was November 1st, but Ruby would always remind everyone that it was All Saints’ Day! Perhaps that rural upbringing is what rooted Ruby in a lifelong love for God, family, nature, animals, and especially flowers. Ruby was baptized and confirmed in the Congregational Church in Gregory, SD. She grew up riding her horse to a one-room schoolhouse through seventh grade. She graduated from Gregory, South Dakota, as a member of the Class of ’57. With a goal that had been set in second grade, Ruby pursued her passion for teaching, graduating from Southern States Teachers College in Springfield, South Dakota. She later earned her certification in Special Education. She dedicated her career to teaching primary grades and special education in schools across Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as Lyle and Marshall, Minnesota, alongside starting a private pre-school and working at Yellow Medicine County Bank. While in college, Ruby met a special classmate who added another degree to her life: MRS! Ruby and Leroy were married in Gregory, South Dakota, in 1962, and were blessed with two children, M. Todd and Kristi. As time moved on, the family grew with the addition of their son-in-law, Kelly Leinen, daughter-in-law, Lisa, and four grandchildren: Ashton, Addison, Avery Leinen, and Tannika Ingalls. After 52 years of wedded bliss, Leroy departed from this life in May of 2014. If asked for a short description of Ruby, friends and family would simply say, “She loved life.” Whether she was with a group of friends, her church family, traveling the U.S. in a tent, flying on a plane to another continent, or doing missionary work in other states, Jamaica, or Puerto Rico, it was all pure fun to her. She loved playing tricks on her students and others, always leaving people laughing with her quick one-liners. You would rarely find Ruby without a list. Her lists spanned everything from groceries and vacation prep to meal planning, organizing a meatball dinner, selling daffodils, setting up an agenda to chair a meeting, or outlining talking points for church mentors. Her love for organization also shone through in her color-coordinated clothes closet and her seven recipe boxes, meticulously organized with the names of those who had shared each recipe. Together, Ruby and Leroy were a formidable team dedicated to bettering their community. In 1999, Ruby was selected as first runner-up for Senior Volunteer of the Year in the state of Minnesota. She was completely surprised by the award and even more surprised to see family members in the crowd whom she hadn’t told she was a candidate. An independent soul to her core, Ruby never ceased to amaze her family with what she could accomplish without telling anyone beforehand, whether that meant scheduling her own knee surgery, buying a car, traveling, or selling her house. True to her meticulous nature, even her final arrangements were thoughtfully prepared. Her last list included ordering Bar-B-Q’s, buns, and Special K bars locally, with specific requests for the funeral lunch including potato salad and baked beans (calico beans preferred, with no meat). At the very end of her final list, Ruby left these comforting words: “I’ll fly away on my final trip. Destination: Heaven. I’ll plan a party for each of you upon your arrival. Do give me a lot of time before coming and I’ll make frosted sugar cookies and apple pies.” She hopes that you will not shed a tear when she leaves, but rather share your memories and enjoy life with God by your side. As noted by her family, Ruby won’t need to have a special room prepared in Heaven, because she will simply share one with Leroy.
