Ruth G. Meadows Bausch, 88, Orofino
Ruth Grace Meadows Bausch passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 at Clearwater Valley Hospital in Orofino. Ruth was born Dec. 10, 1922, in Grand Junction, Colo., to Louis and Grace Meadows.
The family moved to Salt Lake City a few years later. When the Great Depression hit, they moved to Declo, Idaho, to work in the potato fields. Although Ruth and her three younger brothers didn’t have any possessions during their younger years, they were richly blessed with strong family values and a hard worth ethic.
In 1939, her family relocated to Lewiston, where Ruth graduated from high school in 1941. On July 4, 1942, she married Daniel Bausch in Wapato, Wash., and they made their home in Lewiston while Dan served in World War II. Upon his discharge, they moved to O’Neill, Neb., for a short time then returned to Lewiston, where Dan went to work for Clearwater Power Company. Dan, Ruth and their three children lived in Lewiston and Juliaetta for eight years before they moved to Orofino in 1955.
Ruth very much loved the home and farm that she and Dan built. She always welcomed guests, whether they were family, friends, or strangers, into her home. Ruth would engage guests in a game of cards or entertain them with fond stories of her family. Guests never left her house without a full tummy and a smile on their face.
Ruth was famous for her cooking, especially her buttermilk pancakes and homemade cinnamon rolls. She would graciously share her recipes with anyone upon request, but all agreed that no one could quite replicate the taste because she always added the special ingredient of love to everything she made.
Ruth lived a life of honesty, hard work, and a love for all people. If she wasn’t cooking, cleaning or tending to other chores around the family farm, she was painting ceramics, making yarn-covered hangers, sewing or crafting. She was well known as a grocery clerk in the old M & K in Lewiston, and Bessents, and the old Hayes stores in Orofino.
Although Parkinson’s disease limited her mobility in later years, she enjoyed taking trips to the casino and shopping.
Ruth is survived by her three children and their spouses; she enjoyed her seven grandchildren; one brother and his spouse; and an abundance of extended family and close friends. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Albert and Merle; and her husband, Dan.
A visitation will be conducted from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday at Pine Hills Funeral Chapel in Orofino. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. A covered-dish luncheon will follow at the Orofino Senior Center, with meat and beverages provided. If desired, guests may bring a side dish, salad or dessert. Burial will be at 3 p.m. at Normal Hill Cemetery in Lewiston.
Memorials in honor of Ruth may be sent to Clearwater County Ambulance Service (CCAS).
Lewiston Tribune, January 12, 2011
Transcribed by Kerry Kasza