Inie Ruth Johnson age 97 of Reva and formerly of Las Vegas and Carlsbad, New Mexico, died Thursday November 22nd 2007 at the Dorsett Regional Senior Care Center in Spearfish, SD.

The funeral service will be held 2pm Wednesday November 28th at the Slim Buttes Lutheran Church, rural Reva SD, with Revs. Henry Mohagen and Milton Douglas officiating. Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be held in the church cemetery.

Arrangements are with Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche SD.

Inie Ruth Wilbanks was born January 6, 1910 in Marysville, Cooke County, Texas. She was the daughter of W.R. and Agnes (Randall) Wilbanks. Ruth grew up near the Red River in east Texas and was the fifth child of eleven children.

Ruth met Merrit David ("M.D.") Johnson at a neighbors Christmas party, when she and her family lived near Vernon Texas. They courted and married a year later on December 31, 1927. Following their marriage they moved to Las Vegas New Mexico where they worked on a ranch. Their first daughter, Inie Mozelle, was born there in May of 1929. They moved back to east Texas to the old Johnson home place near Kilgore. Camilla June, Omy Ruth, and Jackie Marcene were all born there. In 1939 M.D. became employed with the City Gas Company at Las Vegas New Mexico. Their last daughter, Hazel Lynn, was born there. When her girls did not take an interest in piano lessons she decided she would be the one to take the lessons and learned to play beautifully during the busy time of raising her family. She enjoyed the piano the rest of her life, serving as church pianist for many years and blessing those around her, including her friends at the Dorsett Home while she was there. After retiring in the early 1970's, they remodeled homes in Montana and South Dakota, before moved back to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Ruth was not afraid to try new things. She needed to learn to drive because of M.D.'s failing eye sight so she obtained her first driver's license at age 70. M.D. died in 1995 and four years later, Ruth moved to South Dakota to be near two of her daughters. She was cared for by her daughter, June, at Reva SD and in 2006 she became a resident at the Dorsett Regional Senior Care Center in Spearfish SD.

Ruth was a wonderful homemaker and cook and raised a big garden in her younger years. She was faithful in her church. She loved life and her sweetheart, M.D. and together they enjoyed raising their five daughters. Ruth was a vibrant, happy little lady. She will be remembered for her witty sense of humor. She lived a long, full life, and enjoyed her family and they all dearly loved her. She will be greatly missed.

Ruth is survived by her five daughters, Mozelle (Dub) Hotchkiss of Mud Butte SD, June (Howard) Hotchkiss of Reva SD, Omy (Ted) Berg of Kalispell MT, Jackie Caywood of Sitka Alaska, Hazel (Dale) Cleveland of Tulsa OK; 16 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren; and several great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, M.D. Johnson in 1995; 5 sisters; and 3 brothers; and a son-in-law.