Ruth Anne Lieder

Ruth Lieder, nee, Ruth Anne Ross, died in her sleep on August 30, 2026 at 86. She was born to Ina May (Morris) and William Robert Ross November 27, 1939 in Pasadena, California. She had one brother, a year younger, Robert William, who preceded her in 2016. There are three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Ruth and her brother, Bob, lost their father to tuberculosis in 1952 after a protracted stay in a Southern California Hospital. The children were entered into foster care at various homes for the next several years and Ruth found herself in Fresno, California.

There she met Bob Lieder in 1958 while she was working as a car hop at a local drive in. They were married in Autumn of ’59. Three children followed: Bob, Kathy and Linda. Ruth was wife, mother and homemaker to the family as they all matured and moved to Oakhurst, CA, near Yosemite National Park.

As the children were getting older she began an association with the Little Church in the Pines of Bass Lake. There Ruth became more active and soon was assisting Pastor Jerry D. England with church business and as wedding coordinator. When the children were making annual trips with the youth group to Mexico, she and husband Bob joined the exodus making about six trips. Their humor and good nature meshed very well with the pastor and the youngsters and they became an integral part of the experience.

Later after the kids were leaving the nest, Bob retired from his employment, but he soon found himself in Yosemite at the Big Trees just inside the South Gate of the park where he would work the summers. Within a short time, Ruth joined him there where she learned to drive coach busses to shuttle visitors to the Big Trees from Wawona. She and he continued for some years enjoying the beauty of their work place and making friends with people from around the world. During off seasons, Ruth and Bob began traveling the United States first in their smaller then large motor home. After ten years they’d made several trips around the perimeter and even into Eastern Canada.

Winding down, Ruth and Bob changed tack a bit and purchased a space to park their motorhome in Yuma, AZ and would now stay there during the wetter months enjoying other retirees whom they would meet and many forays across the border into Mexico.

Ruth would be a widow in 2019 after the love of her life and he hers, died suddenly. With health issues, including the onset and slow progression of dementia, that would make it difficult for Ruth to live on her own, daughter Linda and her family graciously invited Ruth to their home where she would spend her last seven years endearing herself to all who came into it.

We would like to offer thanks to Compassionate Care Hospice Services for their help and guidance during the last weeks of Ruth’s life.