Aida "Rootsie" Ruiz was born November 11, 1948 in Manhattan, NY to Juan and Salvadora Ruiz and died August 24, 2013 in Bellevue, Nebraska. Rootsie was the 6th of 7 children having 3 sisters and 3 brothers and was of the Catholic faith.
Rootsie enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) March 1968 and over the next 20 years, she would see the world. Her military career included stateside duty at Ft McClellan, AL, Ft Huachuca, AZ, Ft Stewart, GA, Ft Monmouth, NJ, Ft Jackson, SC, Ft Hood, TX, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD and Ft Campbell, KY and overseas tours at Long Binh, Vietnam, Belgium, Frankfurt, Germany twice and Korea. Rootsie retired in September 1988 with the rank of Sergeant First Class and made her home in Bellevue, Nebraska.
While in the Army, she attended classes at Central Texas College and after the Army, at University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a degree in Gerontology and Sociology. She worked as a Certified Medication Aide at New Cassell Retirement Center until May 2012.
Rootsie enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, watching westerns, spending time with her puppies and beating her friend, Jean playing dominos and monopoly.
Rootsie also enjoyed reunions with her Army sisters from Vietnam. Rootsie was at Long Binh, Vietnam June 1969 to October 1970 working at USARV Headquarters in G-2, General's Staff.
In the Vietnam Memory Book 2000 from the first Vietnam Women Veterans Conference held in Olympia, Washington, Rootsie wrote, "In the morning, you smelled like a rose - uniforms nice and starched. By noon, you smelled like a skunk and looked like a raccoon. After all, mama-san had washed the whole detachment's uniforms in the same water and never took the time to rinse them out!"
Rootsie was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Johnnie, one sister, Carmen and several aunts and uncles. She is survived by her best friend, Jean Van DeHoef, two brothers, two sisters, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews as well as two elderly aunts and several cousins.
Per her wishes, there will be no service, obituary or fan fare. Rootsie will be cremated and a military graveside service and inurnment at Newkirk Reformed Church Cemetery at a later date near her friend, Jean's family who Rootsie considered her second family.
Source: Jean Van DeHoef, VWV Memory Book 2000 and Rootsie, herself. Written by Marsha "Cricket" Holder
Rootsie enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) March 1968 and over the next 20 years, she would see the world. Her military career included stateside duty at Ft McClellan, AL, Ft Huachuca, AZ, Ft Stewart, GA, Ft Monmouth, NJ, Ft Jackson, SC, Ft Hood, TX, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD and Ft Campbell, KY and overseas tours at Long Binh, Vietnam, Belgium, Frankfurt, Germany twice and Korea. Rootsie retired in September 1988 with the rank of Sergeant First Class and made her home in Bellevue, Nebraska.
While in the Army, she attended classes at Central Texas College and after the Army, at University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a degree in Gerontology and Sociology. She worked as a Certified Medication Aide at New Cassell Retirement Center until May 2012.
Rootsie enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, watching westerns, spending time with her puppies and beating her friend, Jean playing dominos and monopoly.
Rootsie also enjoyed reunions with her Army sisters from Vietnam. Rootsie was at Long Binh, Vietnam June 1969 to October 1970 working at USARV Headquarters in G-2, General's Staff.
In the Vietnam Memory Book 2000 from the first Vietnam Women Veterans Conference held in Olympia, Washington, Rootsie wrote, "In the morning, you smelled like a rose - uniforms nice and starched. By noon, you smelled like a skunk and looked like a raccoon. After all, mama-san had washed the whole detachment's uniforms in the same water and never took the time to rinse them out!"
Rootsie was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Johnnie, one sister, Carmen and several aunts and uncles. She is survived by her best friend, Jean Van DeHoef, two brothers, two sisters, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews as well as two elderly aunts and several cousins.
Per her wishes, there will be no service, obituary or fan fare. Rootsie will be cremated and a military graveside service and inurnment at Newkirk Reformed Church Cemetery at a later date near her friend, Jean's family who Rootsie considered her second family.
Source: Jean Van DeHoef, VWV Memory Book 2000 and Rootsie, herself. Written by Marsha "Cricket" Holder
Aida "Rootsie" Ruiz was born November 11, 1948 in Manhattan, NY to Juan and Salvadora Ruiz and died August 24, 2013 in Bellevue, Nebraska. Rootsie was the 6th of 7 children having 3 sisters and 3 brothers and was of the Catholic faith.
Rootsie enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) March 1968 and over the next 20 years, she would see the world. Her military career included stateside duty at Ft McClellan, AL, Ft Huachuca, AZ, Ft Stewart, GA, Ft Monmouth, NJ, Ft Jackson, SC, Ft Hood, TX, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD and Ft Campbell, KY and overseas tours at Long Binh, Vietnam, Belgium, Frankfurt, Germany twice and Korea. Rootsie retired in September 1988 with the rank of Sergeant First Class and made her home in Bellevue, Nebraska.
While in the Army, she attended classes at Central Texas College and after the Army, at University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a degree in Gerontology and Sociology. She worked as a Certified Medication Aide at New Cassell Retirement Center until May 2012.
Rootsie enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, watching westerns, spending time with her puppies and beating her friend, Jean playing dominos and monopoly.
Rootsie also enjoyed reunions with her Army sisters from Vietnam. Rootsie was at Long Binh, Vietnam June 1969 to October 1970 working at USARV Headquarters in G-2, General's Staff.
In the Vietnam Memory Book 2000 from the first Vietnam Women Veterans Conference held in Olympia, Washington, Rootsie wrote, "In the morning, you smelled like a rose - uniforms nice and starched. By noon, you smelled like a skunk and looked like a raccoon. After all, mama-san had washed the whole detachment's uniforms in the same water and never took the time to rinse them out!"
Rootsie was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Johnnie, one sister, Carmen and several aunts and uncles. She is survived by her best friend, Jean Van DeHoef, two brothers, two sisters, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews as well as two elderly aunts and several cousins.
Per her wishes, there will be no service, obituary or fan fare. Rootsie will be cremated and a military graveside service and inurnment at Newkirk Reformed Church Cemetery at a later date near her friend, Jean's family who Rootsie considered her second family.
Source: Jean Van DeHoef, VWV Memory Book 2000 and Rootsie, herself. Written by Marsha "Cricket" Holder
Rootsie enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) March 1968 and over the next 20 years, she would see the world. Her military career included stateside duty at Ft McClellan, AL, Ft Huachuca, AZ, Ft Stewart, GA, Ft Monmouth, NJ, Ft Jackson, SC, Ft Hood, TX, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD and Ft Campbell, KY and overseas tours at Long Binh, Vietnam, Belgium, Frankfurt, Germany twice and Korea. Rootsie retired in September 1988 with the rank of Sergeant First Class and made her home in Bellevue, Nebraska.
While in the Army, she attended classes at Central Texas College and after the Army, at University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduated with a 4.0 GPA with a degree in Gerontology and Sociology. She worked as a Certified Medication Aide at New Cassell Retirement Center until May 2012.
Rootsie enjoyed camping, fishing, gardening, watching westerns, spending time with her puppies and beating her friend, Jean playing dominos and monopoly.
Rootsie also enjoyed reunions with her Army sisters from Vietnam. Rootsie was at Long Binh, Vietnam June 1969 to October 1970 working at USARV Headquarters in G-2, General's Staff.
In the Vietnam Memory Book 2000 from the first Vietnam Women Veterans Conference held in Olympia, Washington, Rootsie wrote, "In the morning, you smelled like a rose - uniforms nice and starched. By noon, you smelled like a skunk and looked like a raccoon. After all, mama-san had washed the whole detachment's uniforms in the same water and never took the time to rinse them out!"
Rootsie was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Johnnie, one sister, Carmen and several aunts and uncles. She is survived by her best friend, Jean Van DeHoef, two brothers, two sisters, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews as well as two elderly aunts and several cousins.
Per her wishes, there will be no service, obituary or fan fare. Rootsie will be cremated and a military graveside service and inurnment at Newkirk Reformed Church Cemetery at a later date near her friend, Jean's family who Rootsie considered her second family.
Source: Jean Van DeHoef, VWV Memory Book 2000 and Rootsie, herself. Written by Marsha "Cricket" Holder
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