Ruby Lee (Mustard) Dougherty born July 20th, 1935 in Lewiston ID peacefully passed away on Thursday April 23rd, 2026.Ruby was born to Otto Clinton Mustard and Margaret Mae (Novotne) Mustard. Ruby was one of 12 children. When Ruby was very young her family moved to Lincoln Washington. As a little girl she was able to watch Lake Rosevelt fill in as Grand Coulee Dam was built. She would tell stories of how they would play on the logs that were used in the lumber mill and how the bridge across the river was submerged by the new lake.
Ruby met William Dougherty (Bill) in Lincoln WA while he was working at the lumber mill and they were wed in 1951.They took their honeymoon trip to Montana along with Bill’s sisters, fell in love with Montana and from there they worked in ID,WA,& UT to save up enough money to make the move to Montana in 1954. They first tried Castle MT where they found that work was scarce and decided to move to Helena. They had ordered a mobile home from back east when they had to reroute the home to Helena. They had it delivered to Western Trailer Town on main street (now cedar street) across from the old Bears truck stop. In 1960 they adopted William Jr. In 1963 Bill and Ruby bought a house in East Helena. They had started a hot mix plant down below Kessler School on Wilder Ave.
In 1969 William and Ruby moved to the location of the hot mix plant. In 1974 they sold the hot mix plant and moved out to the north Helena valley where they built a home on some acreage. William passed away from a sudden heart attack in 1981. Which left her devastated and working a large property by herself and a job also. A few years later she met a wonderful man named Ralph Krieg while she was a waitress at Jorgenson’s. Ralph also had lost his wife. They kicked it off and she soon moved into town with Ralph. They loved picking wild mushrooms and berries and enjoyed trips with their grandchildren. They enjoyed trips and sightseeing all over Montana. Ralph passed away in 1999. Ruby stayed in town and enjoyed retired life and found a new love of taking trips with friends. She did the snowbird thing and travelled to Parker AZ for years until the drive was just too much.
Ruby had many talents and over the years she grew gardens, canned, froze or pickled all of it. Loved decorating cakes, crocheting, cooking, baking, making quilts, rummaging yard sales, gardening, growing flowers, and bartering! She traveled the mountains of Montana and Washington hunting, fishing, camping, snowmobiling and picking huckleberries and mushrooms. She was also a member of the Moose and Eastern Star. She was Moose mother of the year in 2000.
Ruby was diagnosed with late stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s 2024. She moved into memory care at Beehive in Helena where she was well cared for until her passing. She loved getting visits from family and neighbors. Ruby loved and was loved by many of her neighbors, where they created a care community for each other.
Ruby is preceded in death by both parents, brothers Jim and Dan, sisters, Mary Jane, Bertha, Minerva, Ethel, Beulah, and Barbara and many other relatives and friends.
Ruby is survived by two sisters, Donna (also her niece as her parents raised her) and Agnes. Both her children, William JR and Heidi Ingels and her grandchildren Ryan, Joe, Andrea, Christy and Gretchan. She is also survived by great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Services will be held at Anderson, Stevenson, Wilke Funeral Home 3750 N Montana May 9 at 11:00 am. Catered lunch to follow, but Ruby loved a good potluck so if you wish to bring a dish, please do. Ruby will be laid to rest next to Bill at Sunset Memorial Cemetery.
Service Schedule
Celebration of Her Life
11:00am
Saturday May 9, 2026
Anderson Stevenson Wilke & Retz Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, MT 59602
Reception
Following the service
Saturday May 9, 2026
Social Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, MT 59602
Service Schedule
Celebration of Her Life
11:00am
Saturday May 9, 2026
Anderson Stevenson Wilke & Retz Funeral Home
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, MT 59602
Reception
Following the service
Saturday May 9, 2026
Social Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke
3750 N Montana Ave.
Helena, MT 59602
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Bebe Wirkus says
Ruby was a wonderful neighbor to us and we always appreciated her friendliness. She even shared some of her stunning purple iris plants with me.
GOD have mercy on her soul.
Bebe and Gene Wirkus
Rachelle Menichino says
There will never be a neighbor like her. She was so involved with my sister and I growing up… birthday parties, graduations, weddings. She was family and will very much be missed.