Ruth F. Graham

Ruth was born near Moberly, Missouri on March 10, 1916 to Everett Manning Case and Anabell Case (Slagle). Ruth came from a family of 6 her being the eldest. She had 3 brothers, Jesse, Larry, Arthur, and 2 sisters, Vivian and another who died in infancy.

Ruth was a hard worker from the beginning, her being the eldest. She helped her mother in the home and also with many other family members that her mother always took into their home. There were many children in the house at any given time, as well as, Uncles and Aunts.

Mom remembers picking cotton and hops, as well as, fruit. She said the cotton was the worst. I also remember her saying during the hard times they lived in tents. She said she still swept the floor. Her home was always clean no matter where she lived. She also remembered her father moving them to a Dairy Farm and living in a big house and having all the milk they could drink.

In December of 1932 she was living in Colorado Springs, CO. There she met Luke Graham who would become her husband. They wed on Feb. 3 1933 and were married until his death on Sept 28, 1988. A son Wayne was born in Colorado Springs. From there they moved to Hood River, Oregon where Ollie Jean was born. They worked wherever they could find a job. The Great Depression was having its effects on the Graham family as well as the Case’s who all traveled together. They then moved south and in San Jose, California, Ollie became fatally ill with Spinal Meningitis. Lila was born in Tulare, CA. They traveled around a lot from California, Oregon and Washington. They were living in Selah by the river when Ruth delivered twin daughters, Darlene and Charlene in 1947. They moved to Walla Walla and then Dayton, WA where Ruth ran here own restaurant at the Pastime Café and Luke ran a barbershop in the back. Mom was an excellent cook and cooked basic home cooked meals that are hard to find today. She was the best pie baker in the country. The family moved from Dayton in 1959 and went south to California where Ruth ran a country restaurant in Collegeville, Ca. They moved back to WA in 1963. Ruth’s last job before she retired was a cook at the Yakima Detention Center.

She loved her family and her grandchildren were the love of her life. Ruth was a foster grandmother to many children in her life also. She was a strong woman both psychically and spiritually. Her bible had many dog-eared pages.

Ruth left behind 2 daughters, Lila Ann Graham (Rose) and Charlene Kay Graham (Vos), 15 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, 5 great great grandchildren and numerous foster grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Ollie Jean Graham, husband, Lucian Gaius Graham, a son, Wayne Everett Graham and another daughter Darlene Fay Graham (Kyles).

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

Visitation will be held today at Keith & Keith Ninth Avenue Chapel from Noon to 5pm. A Funeral Service will be held Monday, June 28, 2010 at Keith & Keith Terrace Heights Chapel at 3:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Terrace Heights Memorial Park.

To share a memory of Ruth visit www.keithandkeith.com.