Funeral Services For Hilda "Ruth" Dankert

Funeral Services for Hilda “Ruth” Dankert, age 98, of O’Neill, formerly of Chambers, will be at 3:30 P.M., Saturday, January 21, 2017, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chambers, NE.  Burial will be in the Chambers Cemetery.  Rev. John Ryding will officiate.

Visitation will be from 2:30-3:30 P.M. at the Lutheran Church in Chambers.  

Ruth passed away Tuesday, January 17, 2017, at the O’Neill Care and Rehabilitation Center.  

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation. 

Hilda Ruth Dankert was born February 14, 1918, to David and Hilda (Johnson) Isaacson at the family farmstead at Bliss, NE, located in southern Holt County.  A few days after her birth, Ruth’s mother passed away.  At that time, her father, David, having 5 older children at home, made the decision to take Ruth to the home of her mother’s sisters, Bertha, Eva, and Alice.  Brothers, Alvin and Clarence, lived in the home as well, so infant baby Ruth was raised by three aunts and two uncles.  Her father checked in whenever time and responsibilities would allow.  

She attended country schools, Chambers public High School and O’Neill High School where she graduated with “normal training” in 1936.  This training allowed her to teach in the country school setting.  She enjoyed teaching in the Homolka and Zelke Schools, both of which were located in southern Holt County. 

On September 8, 1939, she was united in marriage to Eric Dankert.  Eric passed away May 22, 1985. To this union were born three sons; Douglas, Giles, and Dale. 

Ruth and Eric operated the Chambers Dairy for 7 years.  In 1946, they purchased a gas and oil business in Chambers which they operated for many years.  During this time, they introduced to the Chambers area, the service of propane.

As a child and young adult, Ruth attended the Baptist Church in Chambers accompanied by her aunts and uncles.  As a youth, she was baptized, giving testimony of her saving faith in Jesus as her Savior. 
Ruth supported her husband in the family business by spending many hours doing the book work.  Ruth loved to sew and the sewing machine was always set up and ready to make something new or repair something old.  Ruth deeply loved and enjoyed her grandchildren.  She always fed them with their favorite foods and spoiled them rotten.  She was a tremendous cook, always doing as she would say “Doctoring up” her meals.  In her earlier years, she enjoyed growing flowers and canning, both of which earned her many awards at the county fair. 

Ruth is survived by her two sons, Douglas Dankert and wife Judy, and Dale Dankert and wife Ruthie, all of Chambers, NE; six grandchildren, Mike, Shelly, Katie, Ben, Maryanne, and Jed; five great grandchildren; three great great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.

​She was preceded in death by her husband, Eric in 1985, one infant son, Giles; two brothers, John and Carol Isaacson; and three sisters, Mareta Nielsen, Letha Harley and Lela Harkins. 

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