Rosalie "Sally" Ann Ruska

Kiva

Rosalie “Sally” Ann Ruska, age 86, of Kiva, died Monday, January 6, 2025 at Transition Assisted Living in Gladstone following a courageous battle with frontal temporal dementia and colon cancer. She was born on July 4, 1938 in Munising, MI daughter of the late Joseph and Gladys (Blohm) Rivard. Sally attended kindergarten in Kiva before moving to Illinois where her father worked for the Railroad. They lived in Lansing, IL and Sally went to Thorton Fractional High School in Calumet City, IL until returning to Munising and graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1957. Sally married John Allen Ruska of Chatham on December 21, 1957. John was stationed at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida where Sally worked for the Federal Government – Civil Engineers. When they moved back to Michigan in 1960, Sally started working at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base working for base supply and contracting. She retired on July 5, 1993 after 33 years of service to the Federal Government. In her leisure time, she enjoyed gardening, planting flowers, reading, crafting, and often getting her big buck hunting. She always remained close to her family and treasuring time spent with her grandchildren. 

Sally is survived by her son – Mark (Susan) Ruska of Freeport, Maine; daughter – Cheryl Beyer of Kiva; grandchildren – Lacey Rose Vandewiele, Joshua (Melissa) Biermaker, Aaron M. Beyer, and Megan Myers; great-grandchildren – Meila Rose, Oliver John, Theodore Daniel, Harrison Samuel and Zander Presley; brother – Raymond Revord of Christmas; sister – Gladys Smith of Idaho; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband John on June 10, 2011 and her parents Joseph and Gladys.

Visitation will be at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. A memorial service will begin at 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be at Pine Grove Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorials in Sally’s name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or a cancer care group of your choosing. 

Family would like to thank North Woods Home Nursing for the help they provided Sally while at home and to UPHS Home Health and Hospice for their care while mom was at Transition.