Ruth Preston

Ruth A. (Gruber) Preston, 85, of Kennewick, WA passed away Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice House surrounded by her family. At Ruth's request, no services were held. Memorial contributions can be made to the Hospice at The Chaplaincy, www.tricitieschaplaincy.org.
Ruth Alice was born January 18, 1929 to Clifford and Esther (Thompson) Gruber in Lansing. She graduated from Lansing High School in 1946 and from the University of Dubuque and Finley Hospital School of Nursing in 1951. Ruth married Richard Preston of Dubuque October 12,1951 at Central United Church in Richland, WA.
She began her nursing career at the First Kadlec Hospital in Richland. Prior to her retirement in 2004, Ruth worked for 35 years at Kennewick Life Care, formerly known as the Hawthorn House. She was a Master Gardener for the last 14 years of her life and was also a charter member of the Sagebrushers, a local decorative painting group. Ruth had a large collection of ribbons from the Benton Franklin Fair for her paintings, cardmaking and canning entries.
Ruth is survived by her husband, Richard; her daughters, Cynthia Turney of Kennewick, Karla (Jay) McCutcheon of Show Low, AZ and Deborah Preston-Schaffer (Steve) of Pasco, WA.; two grandchildren, Jennifer (Don) Harle of Oceanside, CA and Jess Turney of Seattle, WA; her brother, Jim (Jean) Gruber of Lansing; her 100-year-old uncle, George Thompson of Los Angeles, CA; and many nieces and nephews. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents.