Ruth Smith

Ruth Smith, age 95, of Waubun, MN, died Saturday, October 13, 2012 at the Mahnomen Health Center Nursing Home in Mahnomen. Ruth E. Swift was born August 28, 1917 at New England, ND, to William and Maude (Byers) Swift. In 1925, at the age of nine, she moved with her mother and younger brother to the McCraney Lake area east of Waubun. Her father and two older brothers had moved to the area earlier to build a home for them and to bring their horses and cattle. Ruth attended the one room Horack School. The following year, her mother was hired as the teacher. She loved to talk about riding a horse to school and fishing and swimming with her brothers in McCraney Lake. In 1933, Ruth was united in marriage to Arthur Smith of Waubun. They worked for Schermerhorn farms herding sheep, until they purchased their own farm in 1937 in Lake Grove Township, rural Waubun. Ruth worked hard helping run the farm. In addition to raising large vegetable gardens, she loved to raise flowers with hollyhocks being her favorite. In 1956, Ruth and Arthur moved to Auburn, WA, and lived there until they returned to Waubun in 1958. In 1969, Ruth went to work as a cook for the White Earth School. While working there the children were given homemade bread and donuts and fresh baked cinnamon rolls. She continued to work at the school until her retirement in 1982. Arthur passed away in 1978 but Ruth continued to live on the farm until 2002 when she moved into Evergreen Apartments in Waubun. Ruth is survived by three sons: Larry (Lori) of Perham, MN, Howard (Corrine) of Brooklyn Park, MN, and Dale (Marilyn) of Prescott Valley, AZ; three daughters: Jean (Tony) Kraft of Waubun, Joyce Smith of Mahnomen, MN, and Judy (Dale) Quittschreiber of Ogema, MN; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; four brothers: Lee “Swifty The Swapper” Herbert “Speed”, Don and Dean; one sister who died at birth, Nancy. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00PM on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at Circles of Faith United Church of Christ in Waubun, MN. Interment will be at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery in Mahnomen, MN.

Ruth Smith

August 28, 1917 - October 13, 2012