Ruth Hazel Parlin, 77, of Baker City, died Feb. 29, 2008, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.
Her cremated remains will be interred later at Mount Hope Cemetery. At the family’s request there will be no funeral. There will be a private family memorial at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday with a reception afterward for friends and family at 10 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Gray’s West & Co. is in charge of arrangements.
Ruth was born on Aug. 27, 1930, at LaPorte, Ind., to Effie and Ben Williams. She grew up on a farm at Walkerton, Ind., and graduated from Walkerton High School. Ruth attended business school and worked for a savings and loan bank in South Bend, Indiana.
Ruth contracted scarlet fever at the age of 6. Unfortunately, the fever left Ruth with a severe hearing impairment. In later years, Ruth told her children she remembered not being able to hear her teachers and being too shy to ask for help, she was basically self- taught.
Ruth met Thomas C. Parlin and was married on New Year’s Day, 1951, while her husband was on leave from the U.S. Marine Corps. She relocated to the military base at Quantico, Va., and after a time her husband was shipped out for the Korean War.
Years later, Ruth and her family moved to Baker City. Ruth was then devoted to raising her three children. Ruth was a skilled seamstress and made her daughters’ clothing. She was also a wonderful cook, and an excellent baker.
Her children and grandchildren loved her pies and cream puffs. Ruth also did beautiful embroidering and her love of flowers was incorporated into her needlework.
She was a big supporter of her children and grandchildren’s activities. She loved going to her son’s baseball games when he was growing up, and later attended her grandchildren’s school sporting events and 4-H activities. She never missed watching her grandchildren show their animals at fair.
Ruth came from a very patriotic family, having several members who served in the military: her father, Ben, U.S. Army, World War I; brother, Raymond, U.S. Army, World War II; brother, Grover Williams, U.S. Marines, Korean War, missing in action; husband, Tom C. Parlin, U.S. Marines, Korean War; brother, Ben Williams, U.S. Army, Vietnam; son-in-law, David Comstock, U.S. Army, Vietnam; son-in-law, Rick Holden, U.S. Army; son, Tom S. Parlin, U.S. Marines, Vietnam era and Cold War; grandson, Glen Comstock, U.S. Navy, and grandson, Tom K. Parlin, having just returned from the Iraq war and third generation U.S. Marine. This made her smile, her family said.
Ruth loved to read and would check out many books from the library. Later on in life, Ruth checked out a book on calligraphy and taught herself that style of writing. She had the patience to practice and as a result did beautiful calligraphy. Ruth was a very caring and gentle person.
Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Thomas Parlin of Baker City; sister, Peggy Bope of Hamlet, Ind.; daughter, Jennifer Holden, and her husband, Rick, of Baker City; daughter, Pamela Comstock and her husband, Dave, of La Grande; son, Thomas Parlin, and his wife, Julie, of Redmond; grandchildren, David G. Comstock of Pendleton, Shane Holden of Baker City, Casey Holden and his wife, Kristin, of Redmond, Thomas K. Parlin of Redmond, Stephanie Parlin of Ontario; great-grandson, Seth Holden; sisters-in-laws, Mary Jane Williams of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ellen Town of Vale; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ben and Effie Williams; sisters, Helen Harness and Adeline Himes; and brothers, Ben Williams, Raymond Williams and Grover Williams.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Elizabeth Health Care Center, Pathway Hospice, or a charity of one’s choice.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, March 3, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor