Maxine Ruth Phelps

Maxine "Ruth" Phelps, of Seattle, died the morning of Feb. 25 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Ruth was born on New Year's Day 1924 in Fresno, Calif. to Max and Elsie Wedekind and spent most of her childhood in San Francisco. The family later moved to Seattle where Mr. Wedekind was a Union Representative for the Inland Boatmans Union and later a State Representative. Ruth graduated from West Seattle High School in 1941 and during WWII spent her time helping the war movement as a candy striper.

Shortly after graduation Ruth began working as an assistant to Archie Phelps, King County Commissioner, where she met his brother Ralph Dwight Phelps. After their first date he proposed to her and the two enjoyed a lively and long marriage of over 50 years.

In 1948, Ralph and Ruth had a son, Max Dwight Phelps. Ruth enjoyed her time as a full time mother as the family was moved around from place to place. Between the 1950s and 1960s they moved from Lake Wilderness, WA to Seattle, WA to Great Falls, Mont. and Moses Lake, Wash. to Wyoming due to her husband's job with Boeing. Although she was busy moving around and raising her family she still found time to be an active member of Beta Sigma Phi and enjoyed taking painting classes that developed her skills into a talented landscape painter. Ralph and Ruth eventually settled into a house in West Seattle and after her son went off to college, she worked for the Seattle Waitresses Union until she retired in 1975. Ruth was very proud when her son graduated from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Washington, as he was the first in the family to get a college degree.

The couple retired to an apartment in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, along with a house in Ocean Shores built by Mr. Phelps for his wife despite losing the use of one hand. During their retirement the couple traveled extensively in their trailer up and down the west coast and was very active in their local bowling league, as well as, enjoyed golfing whenever possible. Eventually they bought a third home in Palm Springs. Ruth and Ralph spent lots of time with their two grandchildren Michole and Matthew often taking them on long summer and spring break trips. Despite the distance of their summer homes, their grandchildren and family always came first.

Following her husbands death in 2000, Ruth continued to travel and visit her home in Southern California where she had many friends and led exercise classes. She was also an active member of the Ladies Auxiliary, Palm Springs chapter of the VFW and was known to ride on the back of a motorcycle for the Palm Springs Memorial Day Parade. She enjoyed traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, eating, a good martini, playing video games, watching television, discussing politics, swimming, walks through downtown Seattle, and most of all, spending time with her family and great grand-children whom she adored and were the light of her life.