Ruby Kaylor-Bride-Miller

Ruby Margaret Kaylor-Bride-Miller-(Darrow), 97 

Ruby was born in Exeter, Virginia on February 8th, 1923. She grew up in the small towns of Keokee, Calvin, and Dunbar, before graduating high school in Appalachia, Virginia in 1941. Ruby was the middle child of seven with four sisters and two brothers. Her father, John Clarence Kaylor, was a Coal Miner and passed in 1967 at the age of 74. Her mother, Malva Williamson Kaylor, was a homemaker and passed at the age of 92 in 1988. 

After high school, Ruby worked in payroll for a local coal mining company. During World War II, she worked making parachutes to support the war at the Eastman Kodak Company in Kingsport, Tennessee. She then enlisted in the US Army for 18 months and worked as a medical technician. She was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant on October 3rd, 1946. 

Following her older brother, Jeff, she moved to Rockford, Illinois, and after meeting where they both worked at a local J.C. Penney, she married Louis Bride of Platteville, Wisconsin on November 5th, 1949. In 1952 they moved to California and settled in the Torrance area of southern California. In 1960, they adopted their only son, Robert. Louis Bride passed in 1974. Ruby went back to work in accounting to support her son and herself. 

In 1982, Ruby married George Miller. They settled in Lake Elsinore, CA where they lived in a more rural setting, with a garden and raising birds. George passed away five years later in 1987. 

After moving back to La Mirada, CA, she met David Darrow. Ruby and Dave spent 20 years together, enjoying large family gatherings and watching Dave's great-grandkids grow up. Ruby felt a lot of love from Dave's family and was affectionately known as Grandma Ruby. Dave passed in 2009. 

Even though Ruby spent the majority of her life in California, she always enjoyed traveling “home” to Virginia and North Carolina to visit family. Her favorite time of year was the fall when she could see all the leaves change colors. In 2012, Ruby made her last trip to North Carolina and was able to spend six months with her family. 

Ruby then moved into an active senior retirement community near her son in November, 2012. It was important to her to live independently. There she made many new friends and went to lunch with her son every other Sunday. She loved to read books and write cards and letters. She sent out close to sixty birthday cards annually and wrote weekly cards and letters to family and friends. 

Ruby passed at 97 in May 2020 after a brief illness. She was preceded in death by her brother, John in 1991; her sister Clara, in 1996; her brother Jeff, in 2005; her sister Odette, in 2013; her sister Betty, in 2015; and her sister, Freda in 2017. 

Ruby was cremated and will be buried in Platteville, Wisconsin.