Ruth Solomon McGarvey, 69, passed away May 22, 2008, after battling cancer.
Her funeral service will be 2 p. m., Tuesday, May 27, 2008, at the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints, 1315 Washington Ave., in Havre. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately after the graveside services. Memorial contributions in Ruth’s honor may be made to North Central Senior Citizens Center in Havre ; Chronic Disease Fund; or the American Cancer Society. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Ruth was born May 10, 1939. In Platinum, Alaska, to Harry and Elsie (Martin) Solomon. After her mother passed away when Ruth was three, her father Harry brought Ruth and her brother Ted Solomon to Havre. Ruth and Ted were raised on the ranch southeast of Havre with the help of Harry’s sister, Stella Felton. After Ruth raised her children, she went to Alaska and fell in love with the area. In the 80s, along with her brother Ted, the two started a fishing business. Later, she went into commercial fishing with her husband, David Phillips, in Perryville, Alaska. Ruth was very active in the community of Perryville. She was a grant writer, an advocate for women of domestic abuse, a health aid, substitute teacher and a cook for the local school. Even in her sixties, Ruth acquired her CDL license. She was assigned to drive trucks for the building of new roads on the Aleutian Islands. Ruth believed that no one is ever too old to learn new things. She was a selfless and humble person always taking in stray pets and people. Ruth had a heart of gold always ready to give a helping hand to whomever was in need. Ruth loved to fish, hunt and garden. Ruth was very creative, her favorite was teaching anyone who wanted to learn how to bead. After losing her husband in a fishing boat accident, Ruth moved back to Havre. She dedicated the rest of her life to helping her son prove his innocence after he was wrongly convicted. She was preceded in death by her father, mother, and husband, David Phillips. Ruth is survived by her four children: Kitty Martin of Havre; Julia Solomon of Ashton, Idaho, Robert and Jennifer Broughton of Ronan, and Troy McGarvey of Shelby; brother, Ted (Gail) Solomon of south Havre; 19 grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren are also her legacy. Ruth will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
