Ruth Holmes

Ruth Ada Holmes, 85 died Dec. 5, 2007, at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer.

Funeral Services were held Dec. 12 at Valley Funeral Home’s Palmer Chapel. Pastor Tim Carrick officiated and interment followed at Wasilla-Aurora Cemetery. Pallbearers were Bruce Holmes, Michael Holmes, Michael Calkins, Rodney Bettis, Greg Musick and Aaron Maupin.

Ruth Holmes was born Aug. 13, 1922, in New Sweden, Maine, and attended Caribou High School in Caribou, Maine. She also attended New England Baptist Hospital in Boston for nursing school and served as a cadet nurse during World War II. She came to Alaska in 1970, settling in Palmer.

Holmes worked at New England Baptist Hospital, Valley Hospital and Palmer Video Cache. Although she was a nurse, she retired many years ago to be with her children and family, and also to enjoy her time knitting, reading, baking peanut butter fudge and chocolate chip cookies, watching Nelson Eddy movies and spending time with family and friends.

She was a generous, caring and loving person, was always cheerful and all of the kids in the neighborhood knew her as “Nana.”

Holmes is survived by daughters, Heather (Pete) Calkins of Dallas, Pa., and Sandra Holmes and Roger Austin of Wasilla; son, Bruce (Carol) Holmes of Walpole, Mass.; granddaughters, Tanya Lang, April (Greg) Musick, Karen (Dave) Sullivan, Susan (Scott) Simpson, Maria Paulus and Kathleen, Samantha, Brandy and Bethany Holmes; grandsons, Michael Calkins and Billy, Michael, Christopher and Daniel (Kelly) Holmes; great-grandchildren, Devin and Drew Dalmolin, Katie Holmes and Patrick Sullivan.

She was preceded in death by sons Edward and David.

While the family welcomes flowers at the service, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 3903 Taft Drive, Anchorage, AK 99517.

Valley Funeral Homes and Crematory of Palmer and Wasilla is assisting the family.