Ruth was born at home in the Blue Mountains of Walla Walla County, Washington.

She was the fourth of six children, born to Albert and Margaret Leid Hansen.

Ruth graduated from Waitsburg High School’s Class of 1941 and faithfully attended every class reunion until 2015.

She began working as a child helping her family harvest hundreds of acres of wheat in Walla Walla using horse-drawn combines. She also worked at the Green Giant Cannery in Dayton, Washington.

At the age of 19, Ruth moved to Seattle, Washington, to help the war effort from 1942-1945 at Fort Lawton. She began a career in 1959...