Ruth Schwab Cranney

Ruth S. Cranney, much-loved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, passed away on Friday, October 11th .

Ruth was born August 4, 1931, the sixth of seven children, to Martin Henry Schwab and Mary Hale Schwab, in Afton, Wyoming. She grew up there surrounded by all her siblings and loving parents who taught their children everything they needed to know, gathered them together for drives in the car, and took them to nearby Cottonwood Lake for family picnics and fishing.

Ruth’s childhood was filled with the activities of a large, busy family—driving out to the South end of Star Valley to hike up the snowy hill in search of that year’s Christmas tree, riding their toboggan down the steep hills on the highway with their father waiting in the car at the bottom of the hill to pick them up. She and the other children worked with their mother on chores that functioned as a disguise for lessons in math, reading and other skills they’d need in life. Before she was old enough to go to school, she was charged with counting the number of people who would be having dinner and setting a place for each one. In an essay she wrote in her later years, she described one occasion when the table was one plate short. As she puzzled over the error her mother suggested that she may have forgotten to count herself. As she got older, these chores included cooking—increasing the amounts of ingredients as she doubled recipes. She had no trouble in school with multiplication and fractions.

In the summer of 1946, at the end of her freshman year at Star Valley High School, she met Ted Cranney, who grew up across the valley in Auburn and had just come home from the army at the end of WWII. They married on November 8 th of that year in Idaho Falls, Idaho, settled on the Cranney family farm and had two daughters.

In 1954, they and their daughters moved to Salt Lake City and over the next four years added two sons to their little family. They purchased a home in the growing community of Kearns and raised their family there.

Ruth took great interest in her children, encouraging them in school, making sure each of them had music lessons as they grew up, keeping them active in their church, and teaching them by example to be compassionate, helpful and caring. In 1970 she received an Associate degree in nursing from Utah Technical College and began working at Cottonwood Hospital as a licensed practical nurse. A short time later, she continued her nursing studies in a program from Weber State College and became a Registered nurse. She continued at Cottonwood Hospital until she retired in 1989.

She was extremely gifted in sewing and other needle arts, which she learned from her mother and others throughout her childhood, and which she taught to her children and many 4H groups . Besides sewing to help make a living for the family, she also made exquisite quilts, gifts for her family and friends (those friends are still using and talking about the quilts, slippers and other gifts they’ve received over the years), and award-winning needlework art pieces.

After all her children had grown and left home she became interested in writing, which she studied at the Eddie P. Mayne Senior Citizen Center in Kearns. She went on to take further classes and describes in one of her essays how being in a class with students who were much younger was exciting and opened her mind to new perspectives. Her children all treasure the collections of her writings, which she copied for each of them, and more than one of which were published in their class magazine. Our mother was a published author.

After her husband passed away in 1988, Ruth continued to lead an active life with neighbors and her church, and as her children’s families grew she cherished her relationships with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She continued to be active and interested after moving to Sunridge Assisted Living facility in 2016. She enjoyed the community, the outings and activities, and visits with her children and their families until she finally passed away in a peaceful sleep in the very early morning.

Ruth is survived by her children and their families: Mary Lynne, Patricia Ketcham (Warren), Claude (Deborah), and Russell (Jane), grandchildren: Tait Ketcham (Mandy), and Caryn Melonas, Lindsey Cranney, and Chad and Jay Cranney, and seven wonderful great grandchildren: Treyton Cranney, Khadra, Brody, Ella and Josie Ketcham, and Kaileigh and Nico Melonas.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward W. Cranney, parents Martin and Mary Schwab, brothers Anthon, Gene and Max, and sisters Arlean, Belva and Melva.

Her family thanks the directors and staff—aides, nurses, and all those at Sunridge who cared for her with such warmth and professional skill. She truly enjoyed spending her time with the young, friendly, professional people who surrounded her.

Please join Ruth’s family for a viewing on Thursday, October 17th, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road in Taylorsville. Funeral services will be at the same place on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. Friends and family may gather one hour prior to the service from 10-10:45 a.m. A graveside service and burial will be in Afton, Wyoming on Saturday, October 19th at 1:00 p.m.

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