Ruth Pickard

Ruth Evelyn Pickard was born on January 28, 1930 in Columbus, Ohio to Harrison and Ruth Deckard. She was the middle child of 7. She had 5 brothers Charles, Richard, Francis, Donald, Kenneth and 1 sister named Norma. She was the last surviving member of her family. Evelyn was a member of Whitehall Methodist Church and was very active in their youth groups which she later became a leader. She graduated from East High School in Columbus, Ohio.Ruth was introduced to her future husband Walter Keith Pickard by a mutual friend from her church in 1950. Their first date was to a grand opening of a shopping center. They met in front of the Ferris wheel and started going around. They married at Whitehall Methodist on March 11, 1951. Ruth accompanied Keith to North Carolina while he was on military assignment. While they were living there their first child Catherine Lee was born. They moved back to Columbus, Ohio where Barbara Jean and Karen Ruth were bornShe accompanied her family on several work-related moves when her husband Keith worked for an Aerospace company that included California, Texas and then back to California. There was an additional move to Grand Rapids, Michigan where they both worked for a Religious Publication Company and finally settling in California. In the interim the family transferred and rejoined Trinity Lutheran at least 4 times.Evelyn worked for the State of Ohio as an aide for the deaf and the blind. She learned to sign for the deaf at that time. She was a church secretary at St. John’s Lutheran Church and Faith Lutheran Church and Pacific Christian College now known as Hope University. She retired in 1995 through Concordia. Ruth taught many Bible Studies including Bethel Bible Series. Ruth was always adopting people that needed love and assistance. She helped collect food for Second Harvest and many other services. She loved to travel. She traveled to Europe and many trips to Hawaii. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, Jessica and Lindsay children of Karen and Grant , Lisa, Michael, Danny, Nathan children of Cathy and Tom, Stephen, Christin, Stacey, Ricky children of Barbara and Doug, She has 8 great grandchildren and 1 more on the way. She loved her baby Oscar that was a special gift from her daughter Karen. Oscar gave her unconditional love for 10 years.In the last few years her health was declining but she still enjoyed going to Church, eating at Polly’s Pies, traveling to Palm Springs for their annual Anniversary trips. She loved going to Dana Point to watch the sail boats. She also enjoyed special talks in the evening with her husband Keith. Even though she faced serious health issues she was a witness to her faith in Jesus Christ and how she never feared because she knew she had blessed assurance.

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