Lawmakers, relatives remember legislative pioneer Ruby Gilbert

Ruby Gilbert will be remembered as a leader who worked hard to help others, those who knew her say.

Gilbert, the first African American woman elected to the Kansas legislature, represented the 89th district in Wichita from 1991 to 2004.

Mrs. Gilbert died Feb. 28 after a four-year battle with cancer. She was 80.

The service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Tabernacle Bible Church, 1817 N. Volutsia.

"She was a lady of integrity and she did her job without a lot of fanfare," said her husband, Booker T. Gilbert. "She didn't go around broadcasting what she did. She worked with the grassroots people. She worked with kids and she helped people that needed help."

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This story was originally published March 4, 2010 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Lawmakers, relatives remember legislative pioneer Ruby Gilbert."