Ruth E. Booth

Ruth E. Booth, age 96, of Grants Pass, died Sunday, April 17, 2011 at Spring Pointe.

A celebration of life will be at 12 noon, Monday, April 25, 2011 at Jerome Prairie Bible Church with Pastor James Downing officiating. Private interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239.

Ruth was born March 14, 1915 in Clapham, New Mexico to Jack & Josephine Nealy. With her family she moved to Colorado where she graduated from Fruita Union High School in Fruita, Colorado in 1931. In 1932 she moved to Josephine County, Oregon where she lived for 79 years. On July 31, 1942 in Vancouver, Washington she married Percy T. Booth, who preceded her in death. During World War II Ruth served in the Civil Aeronautics Administration as an Aircraft Communicator in Unalakleet, Alaska. In the 1930s Ruth worked at the Holland Hotel in Holland, Oregon and the DelRogue Hotel in Grants Pass. For 21 years she worked at Byrd’s Market restaurant and for the last seven years managed the restaurant until her retirement in 1971.

Ruth was a member of the Southern Oregon Amateur Radio Club which reported election returns and broadcasts during emergencies such as fire and floods. She was one of the first female licensed Amateur Radio Operators in the state of Oregon. Her call letters were W7ITZ and she kept her license current.

Ruth assisted her husband, Percy Booth in researching editing and typing several books of early Josephine County history. Their published books include Grants Pass The Golden Years, Indian Mary & Umpqua Joe, Valley of the Rogues, and Until the Last Arrow. Ruth also assisted Percy in reproducing, printing and mounting historic photos. Three large displays of photos are in the hallway of the courthouse outside the commissioner’s office and other individual photos they framed are displayed in several businesses around town.

Ruth also enjoyed needlework, caring for the wildlife in her yard, and crossword puzzles.

Survivors include a daughter-in-law, Freddie Booth; six grandchildren, Deb West, Steve Booth, Elaine Booth, Darin Lewman, Tyna Fletcher and Tammie Bloomer; 14 great-grandchildren, Dan West, Angela Mitchell, Steve West, Michael West, James West, Tiffany Arnell, Bryan West, Lindsay Haggerty, Charles Booth, Shaun Fletcher, Jacob Fletcher, Hunter Fletcher, Garrett Bloomer, and Sativa Clemons; 11 great-great-grandchildren, Ethan West, Jake West, Autumn West, Kaleb West, Ryan Mitchell, Evan Mitchell, Evan West, Caleb Arnell, Mykaela Arnell, Ainslie Arnell, and Kendall Booth.

In addition to her husband, Percy Booth; she was preceded in death by her parents, Jack & Josephine Nealy; a son, Richard A. Booth; two sisters, Ellen King and Effie Booth; and nine brothers, Jesse Nealy, Oliver Nealy, Oscar Nealy, John Nealy, Mark Nealy, Fred Nealy, James Nealy, Richard Nealy, and Woodrow Nealy.