Ruth Marion Ware

Ruth Marion Ware, 87, of Island City, died Jan. 19. Her husband, Bill, died on the same day three years earlier. A memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church in La Grande. Loveland Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Ruth was born June 17, 1921, the only child of Fred and Ethel (Quibell) Johnson in Sidney, Mont. When she was 16 she moved with her parents to Spokane and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School. In 1942, she graduated from Multnomah Bible College.

During the war she worked for the War Department at Galena, which later became Fairchild Air Force Base.

Ruth was a member at First Baptist Church in Spokane when she met young Staff Sgt. William A. Ware. They married in 1945 and enjoyed 60 years together.

She was a charter member of Trinity Baptist Church in Spokane for more than 50 years. Ruth believed that the most important event in her life was when she received Christ as her Savior and Lord with childlike faith.

Ruth and her husband moved to La Grande in 2005 to be closer to their daughter. Ruth enjoyed the beauty of God's creation, new recipes, reading her Bible every day and prayer.

She is survived by two children, Bonnie Pickens and Dr. Bruce Ware and their spouses, Rev. Wayne Pickens and Jodi Ware; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

.