Monica Valerie Ruscheinsky

Monica Valerie Ruscheinsky was born into a German speaking family on a family farm outside of Brisbane, North Dakota on December 11th 1920. Her mother Clara Schwalick and father Zachius Hintz had 3 sons and 2 daughters. Monica’s father passed when she was 7 years old, her mother was pregnant at the time with her youngest sibling and she quickly became her mother’s first hand.

Monica grew up very poor, she put cardboard into her shoes to cover the holes in her soles. She went to school as a German speaking kid that quickly learned to speak English. Monica loved school, excelling in math and earned a letterman’s sweater playing basketball. She graduated valedictorian of her class. She was awarded a scholarship to a teachers’ college that she did not attend to stay home and help her mother on the farm with her siblings.

Monica married Emanuel Ruscheinsky when she was 18 years old on November 7th, 1939. They bought a farm and had 3 children, Viola Dorothy in 1940, Clara Elizabeth in 1946 and Christine Carol in 1949. Their first house burnt down when she was pregnant with Clara. The family worked the farm and lived in North Dakota until 1959 when they loaded up all their belongings into a 2-wheel trailer pulled by a 1950 hand painted red Studebaker and headed to Oregon. Monica was so worried they would starve on the trip that she packed a 50lb sack of flour.

Landing in Portland, Oregon was a big scary change for Monica having always lived on a farm in rural North Dakota. With the help of Emanuel’s step-mom they purchased a rooming house in North Portland. They enrolled Clara and Christine in Holy Redeemer School and began a new life involved in church activities, family gatherings that included polka dances and saving their money to purchase a home.

Monica was always busy volunteering and attending church and active in the Altar Society, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, an auxiliary member of the Noth Portland Eagles, helping children in need and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was an avid gardener canning and freezing fruits and vegetables yearly. She loved dancing and could outdance most. We assume she is dancing now. We love you, Monica. xoxo