Ruth was born to Walter and Lily Evans on February 14, 1934. She was the middle child; having an older brother Bob and younger sister Anne.

Ruth lived on a farm North of Birch Hills and started school at the age of 6 and completed her grade 9. The family then moved to a farm south of Prince Albert, where she completed her grade 12 in 1953.

After completing high school, Ruth entered training to become a registered nurse. She made some very good friends during that time and after 3 years of training, graduation was a reality. Ruth moved to Regina and worked at the Regina General Hospital in Isolation for 9 months then she moved to Red Deer, AB to attend the Canadian Nazarene College.

On April 7, 1957, Ruth married Cairns “Cal” McDermid; a year later they moved back to Prince Albert, and Ruth worked part-time as a general duty nurse and eventually to relief night supervisor. 

Ruth and Cal had seven children: Louise (Lyle) Tarasiuk, Dave (Rose), Sandi (Doug) Boyd, Val (Pat) Terry, Harold, Nancy (Ron) Bornhorst, Robert (Tracy). 

In 1973, Ruth and Cal moved to Melfort to manage the ambulance business and purchased it a year later. On January 17, 1976, Cal passed away suddenly and Ruth and her children took over the daily operations for twenty years. 

Ruth was fortunate throughout her career to be acknowledged by her peers. In May of 1986, she was awarded the Ambulance Pioneer Award from the Saskatchewan Road Ambulance Association for the time committed to an Emergency Service. In May of 1995, she was invited to Ottawa by the Governor General to receive the Emergency Medical Exemplary Award for twenty years of service. She was among the first to receive it and the only woman to be recognized. The third award was the George Beaulac Memorial Award that was presented in May of 1997. 

Ruth was diagnosed with MS in August of 1985 and gradually lost the use of her legs. She still gave the kids a run for their money when they went for walks when she was riding her scooter which made them run to keep up. 

Ruth will be missed by her children, 37 grandchildren, and 39 great grandchildren. 

She was predeceased by her husband Cal McDermid, parents Walter and Lily Evans, brother Bob Evans, sister Anne Dashchuk, son Harold McDermid, and grandchildren Nicole and Matthew McDermid. 

 

• Date : 2017-10-28