Graveside services for Ruby Cardinal, 89, of Lexington will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, August 4, 2023 at Hillside Cemetery in Purcell. Services will be under the direction of the Wilson-Little Funeral Home in Purcell.

Mrs. Cardinal passed away on July 31, 2023.

Ruby Delores Elliot was born on March 5, 1934 in Manteca, California, the oldest of three daughters born to James Elliot and Ida (Pimentel) Elliot. She was raised in Manteca and attended Manteca Public Schools, where she met a young man named, Leo Phillip Cardinal Jr.

As the story goes, he copied off of her paper in class one day, and the rest as they say is history. The two quickly fell in love and were married on January 27, 1952. Leo and Ruby began their life together, and raised three sons, Leo, James and Kyle. In 1973, the Cardinal family made the move from California to a small acreage near Lexington, Oklahoma.

Ruby was employed as a preschool teacher at Golden Rule Child Care in Noble for several years. She truly enjoyed spending time with the kids and shaping young minds. Ruby had a loving spirit and was a mother to all. She was also spirited and very opinionated, you never had to wonder what she was thinking.

During her free time, she enjoyed reading a good romance novel or tending to her flower beds. She loved to travel, and would go anywhere and everywhere she could. She looked forward to holidays and decorating accordingly. There was not a single holiday that she didn’t decorate for. She was also known for her famously delicious enchiladas and chopped suey.

More than anything, Ruby was a family woman. She loved spending time with her family, and she truly cherished every moment with them. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and a true friend. She will be dearly missed!

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo Cardinal Jr.; parents, James and Ida Elliot; son, James Cardinal; sisters, Ada Reynolds and Nadine Cimoli and granddaughter, Sherry Aresco.

Ruby is survived by her sons, Kyle Cardinal of Lexington and Leo Cardinal (Janet) of Rosedale; three grandchildren; several nieces and nephews, and a host of other family and friends. 

Online condolences may be made at www.wilsonlittle.com.