Ruth Malm

Ruth Louise Malm, 78, died peacefully on February 2, 2024, at Fairmeadow in Billings, Montana. She was born December 9, 1945, in St. Paul, Minnesota to Irving Wesley Malm and Alice Mae Scanlan Malm who were pastoring a small rural church at the time. Having been raised in a loving Christian home, she invited Christ into her life at an early age.

Her formative years were in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, where her father pastored a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. She was involved in family, school, and church activities. These included youth group, Bible studies, Bible camp, debate, band, choir, and yearbook staff. Following high school graduation in 1963, she attended Bethel College and the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, studying philosophy, history, and the arts. She was a percussionist in the college band and enjoyed campus life with many friends.

Her family moved to Billings, Montana, in 1966 where her father served 10 years as Rocky Mountain District Superintendent for the Christan Missionary Alliance.

After college, Ruth lived in Missoula, Montana, where she met her future husband, Gordon Simard, a teacher at the University of Montana. They soon moved to San Francisco, California, where they purchased a home, traveled extensively in the Southwest, and enjoyed life together. When his father became ill, Gordon and Ruth returned to Montana to help manage the family's ranch in Sidney. They enjoyed life in Big Sky Country. Sadly, Gordon died of pancreatic cancer in 1992.

Now alone, life was a struggle for Ruth. Her family had moved from Billings to Omaha, Nebraska. She moved to Fairmeadow in Billings where she found peace in her life with the help of staff and friends who loved and encouraged her journey. She contributed to life at Fair Meadows in many ways. Ruth loved people, being sensitive to their needs, and comforting when she could.

She was well-read, especially in the areas of nutrition and environmental concerns. She appreciated the beauty of nature in the world around her. The neighborhood birds gave her joy and she fed them faithfully. Ruth enjoyed television documentaries and kept up with current events. She enjoyed decorating, arranging birthday parties for friends, walking Mia the house dog, and coffee at McDonald's. She was very competitive at Scrabble, a game she thoroughly enjoyed. Ruth's family gratefully acknowledges the loving care she received at Fairmeadow.

Ruth is survived by sisters Judith (Peter), Marilyn (Robert), and Rebecca; brothers Gordon (Colleen), and Kenneth (Ann) along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and brother-in-law Ashton Dixon and sister-in-law Judy Malm. May her memory be blessed.

2 Corinthians 1:4 (The Message): “He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”