Ruby Louise Jecks

Funeral services will be held Friday, October 2, 2015 11:00 a.m. at Hodgson Funeral Home. Visitation will be 9:00-11:00 a.m. Friday prior to the service and Thursday, October 1, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Hodgson Funeral Home. Burial will be in National Cemetery, Rock Island. Memorials may be made to the Church of Peace, Friendship Manor or Augustana College.

She was born February 3, 1928 in Rock Island the daughter of Charles and Julia Van Zandbergen. She was a 1945 graduate of Rock Island High School. She was a Cum Laude graduate of Augustana College in 1949. She taught school from 1964-1966 in Rock Island. She retired from the Rock Island Arsenal Procurement offices in 1980, after 14 years of service.

Ruby was a member of Church of Peace, United Church of Christ, where she has been an active member of the choir since 1943. Since January 1996 she has been a member of CASI’s Golden Toners.

Her hobbies included traveling, needlework, and singing. She also enjoyed volunteering. Ruby volunteered for many years as a driver for the Cancer Society. Since 1999 she volunteered at Friendship Manor, which she resided.

Her 15 minutes of fame came in September 1958, when she was the Illinois winner of the CBS Televisit Contest. She spent a full week learning about how daytime television was made. She got the opportunity to write an article for the Rock Island Argus, which made the front page.

Those left to honor her memory include her sons, Frederick, FL, Robert (Marchele), East Moline, 4 grandchildren and six great grandchildren, brother Gene VanZandbergen, and sister, Virginia Sulser.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband Willard, brother, George VanZandbergen, sister, Patricia Carver, daughter-in-law, Barbara and granddaughter, Laura Jecks.