Ruby Evelyn Mulder

As I sat down to write about our Mom, Ruby Evelyn Mulder, I realized just how difficult a task it is. To talk/write about someone who was so much a part of my life and now suddenly gone. Who passed away, February 17 2026, just 5 days before her 99th birthday.

Throughout the past 3 ½ years or so, she struggled with ever increasing dementia, but we were able to get glimpses here and there of who she had always been to us – MOM.

Although she had difficulty the past year believing she was 98 years old, or that she was in her own home, she continually surprised me at how observant she could be. For example, I’d take her to her Doctor or Dentist appointments and she was sure to read the Billboards we passed, or a passing delivery truck. She understood the sinage, even made comments about how beautiful the mountains were, though she had difficulty remembering our names, so all became just “Sissy” to her.

I thank God though that even though she struggled remembering who we were, she seemed to understand that we were there helping her and taking care of her, and it was a blessing to us as it enabled us to be able to keep her in her own home and not in a nursing facility.

Some of the things I remember was that she loved to travel, even though there was never enough funds to travel to another country, which she had said she wished she could do, she made the most of her vacation by traveling around Colorado, back when it was uncluttered.

She really enjoyed driving to small mountain towns. She usually had my older sister accompany her on those trips. One Summer they even drove to a small town just to watch their fireworks display and stopped at the old 5 and dime stores. She did love the Colorado mountains.

Maybe she loved those trips because it brought back memories of simpler days, rather than the constant rush of the big city.

She had made a comment one time when drivers would fly past her, clearly irritated with the speed she was driving, she said “There is 24 hours in a day, why is everyone in such a hurry?” It wasn’t too long after that she finally decided to “retire” her driving.

My mother began her work career at Pacific Bell when we lived in Portland Oregon. She was a telephone operator. Around that time my father had difficulty finding steady work as a carpenter and had been out of work for 18 months. My grandmother was living in Colorado at the time and told my parents that they needed to come to Denver, there was a lot of construction going on and my father would be able to find work. So they packed up us three sisters in a car and a truck and headed to Colorado, where my mother went to work for the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph company, that name soon changed to Mountain Bell, affectionately called “Ma Bell” by the employees. Truly, the company at that time really did take care of their employees.

She was a Cord Board Long Distance Operator where she spent the bulk of her career, then the name changed to US West. AT&T bought the company but was later forced to split because they were accused of being a “Monopoly”. My mother’s job went with AT&T and so did she, where she retired a few years later.

One of the things she said when she retired, a few of the other operators were hoping to get a chance to take her shift, because it was a primo shift, but she told me they retired her shift when she retired. Much to the chagrin of those other operators that had their eye on that shift. That always made her laugh.

I think that it made her feel kind of special though, that her managers appreciated her work ethic, she was always there, hardly ever called in unless she was very sick, which didn’t happen very often. They recognized her dedication and commitment to the job. She always had fond memories of her work days, and as she grew older, became a member of the Pioneers, senior operators that enjoyed a more social side of the Company. We’ll always remember when we think back on her life, she was the “Telephone Operator”. God was good to Mom.

She loved meeting new people. My Dad always said she could talk to anyone, and he, on the other hand was very shy. It always made him uncomfortable because he never knew what to say to start a conversation. But when he was with her, he would just smile and sit back and let her do all the talking.

Now she is with my Dad again and surrounded by all her family, she was missing them so much. She was dearly loved by her three daughters and we look forward to seeing her again when we all gather together in God’s Kingdom and the circle will be unbroken.

Visitation will be held at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary & Cemetery, 6601 South Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 80121, US, on March 6, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. The Funeral Service will follow at 2:00 pm. She will be laid to rest at Olinger Chapel Hill Cemetery. A Reception will follow services back at the funeral home.