Ruth VanBuskirk

Ruth Louise VanBuskirk passed away in Colfax Hospital Saturday Nov. 17th. She was 90 years old. A memorial service will be held at The Regency Senior home in Pullman, Wash., on December 1st at 2pm; all are welcome to attend. Asking guests to bring a dessert to share.

Ruth was born in Charleston, W. Va., September 3, 1928, to Beatrice Burgess and Fenton Layne of W. Va. Ruth was the eldest of three children.

After graduating high school, Ruth met and married James VanBuskirk of Kennewick, Wash., while she was working at the pentagon as a secretary and James was stationed in Washington DC. They were married at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on July 18, 1953. They had three children together and traveled the world as James was in the Air Force. Upon his retirement, he joined the Washington State Patrol living in Kennewick until the pair later moved to Arizona to be near family. Ruth then moved in with her daughter and helped to raise her four grandchildren after her children were grown.

Ruth dedicated her life to her children and her grandchildren. She was selfless and the matriarch of our family. We cannot thank her enough for everything she did for all of us. We are eternally grateful to have had her in our lives. She will be dearly missed by each and every one of her surviving family members and we loved her dearly.

Ruth was preceded in death by her two children, Karen Menzie of Endicott, Wash., and James Jr. VanBuskirk of Phoenix, Ariz .; both of her parents and both siblings.

Survivors are her daughter, Lauren Sue Randall of Glendale, Ariz .; grandchildren, Crystal Langley-Venegas of Endicott, Wash., Maverick Matthews of Seattle Wash., Geoff Langley of Moses Lake, Mariah Langley of Spokane Wash., Lisa VanBuskirk Sullivan, Lacy Randall Hiney, C.J. Randall and Lance Randall, all of Ariz .; also by her 13 great-grandchildren.