Toting Ledger Of Friendship
I’m going to regret being “Ruth-less” at Sandpoint High School.
In fact, many of my colleagues and I have been dreading next month’s retirement of our school bookkeeper Ruth Hamilton.
SHS and Bonner County School District will not only be losing a friend but also a valuable and loved employee. Ruth has been quietly counting nickels, dimes and quarters in her tiny office for two decades.
She’s decided to zip up her last money bag and file a final invoice Dec. 22. After that, she’ll devote her days to nurturing her vast array of healthy houseplants with husband, Bob, at their Jewel Lake farm south of Sandpoint.
Scarcely a gray strand shows in Ruth Hamilton’s jet black hair. Her kind, gentle manner hasn’t changed since I first met her 30-plus years ago when she occasionally substituted in our high school classes. Then as now, this radiant, soft-spoken lady invited immediate respect.
Of course, I had a reason to be nice to Ruth then. Her husband was teaching me how to become a journalist. Anyone related to my mentor was OK in my book.
Years have passed. Ruth eventually became the school bookkeeper. Bob retired five years ago, and I’ve occupied his slot as newspaper adviser ever since.
In that role and with numerous other responsibilities, I, like every other school adviser, have relied on Ruth to keep finances straight and bills paid. She has taken good care of us all, seeing that 74 academic and activity accounts balance every month. She does all collections, disburses every check, makes change, prepares purchase orders and verifies all items received, including every textbook and piece of equipment.
“She also organizes the athletic cash boxes and does all that homecoming stuff,” colleague Linda Hunt says. “And she never complains … even though pennies (in the Homecoming spirit link jars) were not her favorites.”
School district accounting manager Jane May says Ruth does an impeccable job, managing much of her bookkeeping by hand.
“Her reports are always on time,” May says. “Her work is never wrong. Everyone knows that, when they get something from Ruth, it will be done right.”
May doesn’t look forward to losing her. “They’re (the school staff) going to be surprised with the amount of work she does when they get someone new,” May predicts.
When Ruth leaves, she’ll take with her the classical tapes that have played softly in her office. She’ll remove her assortment of mementos from groups like Math Club. Also gone with be the keen sense of humor, one of her trademarks.
May recalled one of her quiet antics. “I was doing accounts payable,” she said. “I was trying to straighten out the Merwins Hardware account, so I called Ruth and said, ‘I’m trying to get a handle on this.’
“A couple of days later,” May continued, “I received a water faucet handle in the mail with a note that said, ‘Here’s your handle on that account.”’
Bob Hamilton has appreciated his wife’s humor and “world-class patience” since they started going together at Spokane’s West Valley High School in the late ‘40s. The two have reared four children during their 44-year marriage.
“I think she’s as beautiful today as the first day I saw her standing on the steps of the Millwood Presbyterian Church in 1945,” he says.
He looks forward to upcoming times with Ruth at home where she plans to ease into each day and put her green thumb to use counting blossoms instead of money.
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