Ruth L. Keys

Ruth L. Keys, 94, passed away peacefully July 27, 2019, at her daughter’s home in Wenatchee. She was born on August 8th, 1924 to Harlow and Helen Pease, (Vlyman), in Butte, Montana. She attended Catholic school at Immaculate Conception in Butte before going to high school at Butte High.

She then attended and graduated from Montana State College, Bozeman, MT, with a four year degree in medical laboratory technology. Education was a focus in her family, with her father being a civil rights attorney, and her mother a school teacher. All of her siblings graduated college.

Ruth worked as a lab technologist in Seattle, WA, and thoroughly enjoyed her work. She married Henry J. Keys on April 8th, 1948, and then became a wife and homemaker in Manson, WA. This was no small feat. She baked all bread from scratch, made butter, pasteurized her own milk, and had many creative uses for the cream from the dairy cows. She also loved to bake and had a large vegetable garden that was preserved for the winter months. She instilled in her children a love of cooking and crafting and nature.

She was preceded in death by her husband Henry in 1986, and her oldest son Mike who died in the Vietnam War in 1971. All seven of her other children are still living: Molly Hoots,(Bob), Manson, WA,; John Keys, (RuthEdna), Chelan, WA; Jim Keys, (Virginia), Sheila Malmberg, (Greg), Wenatchee, WA; Charlotte Keys, (Steve), Gig Harbor, WA; Virginia Knight, (Mike), Nine Mile Falls, WA.; Angela White, (Dennis), Gig Harbor, WA. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren and six great- grandchildren.

Ruth was a lifelong member of St Francis De Sales Catholic church in Chelan, and active in the church guild. She also loved science, and participated in the astronomy offerings with Russ Jones of Chelan. She also volunteered at the Chelan Museum and the Chelan Senior Center. Ruth will be greatly missed for her sense of humor, intellect, and energy. We will be lost doing crosswords without her. She also loved music and played the piano throughout her life.

Many thanks to the staff at Heritage Heights, Chelan, where she spent eight years enjoying the view of Lake Chelan, the weather, and the floatplanes and comings and goings of The Lady of the Lake. Special thanks to Pam Stanley, RN, Amanda Ballou, director, and all of the other caring staff.

Also thanks to Central Washington Hospice, in particular Barb, RN, and Central Washington Hospital RN Amy Wallace. We could not have done it without you.

A mass of Catholic Burial will be held for Ruth at St Francis De Sales Catholic Church, 215 W. Allen Chelan, WA at 5 p.m., Friday August 2. A graveside service will be performed on Saturday, August 3 at 9 a.m. at the Fraternal Cemetary, 240 Union Valley Road, in Chelan.

Please leave any thoughts and memories for the family at www.prechtrose.com. Precht Rose Chapel, Chelan is in care of the arrangements.