Ruth Ann Oester's Obituary
Ruth Ann Oester
November 18, 1935 ~ November 20, 2016
Former Columbia City resident Ruth Ann Oester, 81, died Sunday, November 20, at her home in Orchards, Washington.
Ruth was born on November 18, 1935, in Independence, Missouri to John and Fern Herring. She was the middle of five children. The family moved from the Midwest to Clearfield, Utah, where John worked at a Navy base during World War II. After the war, the family moved to Oregon, living in the Yamhill and McMinnville areas.
Ruth met and married the love of her life and best friend, Bruce Oester; they have been married 66 years.
The couple eventually settled in Columbia City and had five children together, Deborah (husband Oscar Cerrillo), Dale, Michael (wife Kellie Leighton), Tracy (husband Doug Beck) and Lynnette (husband Joe Turner). Jose Baccan, a student from Brazil hosted by the family in 1976, remained a lifelong family member. At the time of her death Ruth had 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, she was a devoted mother and was very proud of all of her children.
Ruth took an active interest in her children's schooling and extracurricular activities, volunteering as a room mother, leading Cub Scouts and Girl Scout groups, baking copious amounts of cookies and cupcakes as needed throughout the years. She worked as a dispatcher for a number of years for both the Saint Helens police department and the Oregon State police. She was active in her community, holding elected positions with the City Council of Columbia City and the Saint Helens District Fire Board.
Ruth was also an accomplished homemaker, enjoy canning and freezing the produce from Bruce's gardens, sewing clothes for her daughters, and later in life gardening and bird watching. She was an avid reader and self-educator all her life. Instilling a love of reading and learning in her children that has continued to benefit her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After Bruce retired they became snowbirds for a time, traveling south to winter in California, Arizona and Nevada.
Eventually, wishing to be closer to their children, Ruth and Bruce moved from Columbia City to Orchards, Wash. They lived there until her death from pulmonary fibrosis on November 20, 2016.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, and her older sister, Rosemary Hinchman.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice.
Funeral arrangements are being handled through Columbia Funeral Home, with service at St. Frederic's Catholic Church on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 11:00am.
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