Barbara Ruth Hall

Barbara Ruth Hall, 85, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016.

Ruth was born Sept. 12, 1930, at La Grande, Ore. She was a child of Robert Austin and Velma (Coleman) Fowler. A portion of her early childhood was spent living on a dairy farm near Hazleton, Idaho. Those were memorable days for her. Later, her parents moved near Winchester, and she graduated from high school there. On April 2, 1949, she married her high school sweetheart, Wendell Hall, at Lewiston. They lived in Winchester until moving to Spokane in 1952 to permit Wendell to serve his enlistment in the U.S. Army. While in Spokane, Ruth attended Kinman Business College and worked for a real estate firm there.

Upon Wendell's discharge, they moved back to Winchester. In 1957, they moved to Lewiston and Ruth found employment at Sylvan's Furniture as a bookkeeper. Beginning in 1963, and for the next nearly 40 years, she worked at Lewiston Orchards Sewer District, Coleman Oil Company, for a Lewiston doctor, at the city of Juliaetta and for The Management Company. She put her bookkeeping education to good use.

Ruth enjoyed working. Working as a bookkeeper was satisfying to her, but she also enjoyed any outdoor work, especially gardening, both vegetable and flower. She especially enjoyed working with African violets. After surviving cancer, she became very involved in a local cancer support group.

Her final days were spent without Wendell, who passed away Feb. 24, 2015. She resided in an assisted living facility, Serenity Place in Lewiston. She found the facility to be staffed with people who really cared for her and were committed to her well-being. They became "like family" to her and she received loving care from them.

The focus of Ruth's life was her faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Wherever she went or whatever she was involved in, her desire was to share her faith with others. She was a founding member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Lewiston. She and Wendell spent many years involved in ministry to children in the area.

A memorial service for Ruth will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday. The service will be at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2200 11th Ave., Lewiston.