Ruth Louise Eaton, longtime Douglas County resident, passed on Thursday, January 7, 2010, at Highline Care Center LLC, East Wenatchee, WA. The daughter of Sid and Myrtle Butterfield, she was born on December 2, 1914, and raised in the family home and attended school in Burlington, WA. After high school graduation, she worked in the strawberry fields and later in a Burlington berry cannery. Ruth met the love of her life, Ross E. Eaton, and they were married in Mount Vernon on March 28, 1938, and subsequently had the first three of four children, Doris, Rose and Edward. In 1943, Ross, working for the Great Northern Railroad, was transferred, with family, to a company residence on the Columbia River Siding, below Rock Island Dam, becoming the area's section foreman. During off hours, he farmed the adjacent land and subsequently built three homes in Rock Island, moving the family, now including their fourth child, Dora, into the third residence in April of 1959. Ruth, devoted to family and home, enjoyed gardening and canning, along with sewing, quilting, and she had a love and passion for animals, especially cats. She even rescued a runt-of-the-litter pig, destined for the ground, housebroke it and cared for it like any other pet.

Married to Ross for 64 years-imagine that-Ruth survived her husband, who died February 16, 2002; also surviving her brother, Ermie Butterfield and sister-in-law, Vera Butterfield; and her nephew and niece, Jerry and Janet, also Butterfields. Her married children, Doris Chester of Malaga, Rose Fincher of East Wenatchee, Edward Eaton of Wenatchee and Dora Mabbott of Wenatchee all survive Ruth; along with 16 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and ten great-great-grandchildren.

Viewing is scheduled at Telford's Chapel of the Valley Funeral Home in East Wenatchee on Thursday, January 14, 2010, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, January 15, 2010, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Telford's, followed by a Graveside Service at Evergreen Memorial Park, 1301 10th St. NE, East Wenatchee. A Memorial Dinner will be held in Ruth's honor, at Foothills Foursquare Church, 315 S. Mission Street, Wenatchee. Arrangements by Telford's Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.