Ruth M (Rasmussen) Neally

Ruth M. Neally, former Irrigon, Oregon resident, was born on September 4, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois to parents, John and Maria Schick Rasmussen. She died on April 19, 2018 in Hermiston, Oregon at the age of 92 years. Ruth’s father was working two jobs, trying to save enough money for them to go to Africa as Missionaries. Due to the Stock Market crash of 1929, they lost all of their savings and had to give up their dreams of going to Africa. They wre tired of the bitter cold of Chicago and decided to move to Florida. They moved to Lake Worth, Florida, where her father worked in a Danish Pastries Bakery. Ruth attended school there from grade school through high school. Ruth had two sisters, Dorothy and Alice. Ruth worked at the Morrison Field Airbase in West Palm Beach. Ruth had some vacation time so she decided to visit family in San Francisco, joining her sister Dorothy. Ruth decided to stay in San Francisco where she got a room in a boarding house where they got all of their meals except for dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Some Marines moved in on the floor above them and to get the girls attention, they would drop their boots on the floor after they took them off at night. But only five of the six boots would fall and this got Ruth’s curiosity... so one moring she asked who it was that just dropped one boot... and that is how she met her husband Jim Neally and her sister Dorothy met her husband Charles Dixon. They dated for a number of months before Jim was discharged from the Marines and decided to move back to Seattle where a job was waiting for him. After he got an apartment he had her join him and they were married in Seattle. Jim drove long haul truck, but eventually went into mechanics and working on diesel engines. For a number of years they lived on a 85 ft retired surplus high seas rescue ship, and later on a retired 110ft sub chaser. Ruth and Jim spent many years deep sea fishing. They had two boys, John and Glen. They lived on the ships until their boys were out of school. Ruth went to work for the State Department of Fisheries. Later on they moved to Leavenworth, Washington where they built a house and enjoyed the snow until their health told them to move again. They purchased property in Irrigon and bought a manufactured home. Ruth lost her husband Jim in January 2004 due to cancer after 57 years of marriage. Ruth lived had Irrigon for 16 years when she fell in 2011 and was unable to live at home and moved to Sun Terrace. While living in Irrigon Ruth attended Columbia View Community Church where she taught adult Bible Study class and the Women’s Bible Study. She loved singing in the musicals that were put on by the church. While living at Sun Terrace she loved attending Bible Studies and other activities. Ruth was a mighty Prayer Warrior, praying for all.
  
She is survived by her sons: John in Florida and Glen in Texas, sister Dorothy Dixon, Utah; 2 granddaughters, several nieces and nephews and friends.
Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Jim, her parents and a sister, Alice.

A celebration of life service will be held on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 3:00 P.M. at Sun Terrace in Hermiston, Oregon.

A private burial was at Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Irrigon, Oregon.

Please sign the online condolence book at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com

Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon is in care of arrangements. 

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