Obituary of Ruth Leona Mason Adams Chambers

Ruth Leona Adams Chambers died December 14, 2019 at her Assisted Living home in Tucson, Arizona.  She was 101 years old.

 

Ruth was born September 20, 1918 in Fort Scott, Kansas to Jessie Mae and William Mason.  She grew up in Redfield, Kansas on a farm with 1 older sister and 4 younger brothers.  She went to school and graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1936 and continued to attend her HS Reunions whenever she could, with her last one being 2010 when Craig took her to their combined school reunions.  After High School Ruth attended a Secretarial School and her first job was with The Western Fire Ins. Co. in Fort Scott.  She then briefly moved to Bozeman, Montana to work for an uncle, but when her brother Ira followed his football coach to Halfway / Cornucopia, Oregon,  he let her know that the gold and silver mine in Cornucopia was in need of a secretary.  So Ruth moved to Cornucopia, Oregon to work for the mine and there she met Franklin Adams, one of the miners.  Ruth Leona Mason married Franklin Henry Adams in 1941 and they eventually moved to Seattle, WA. because of the war so that Frank could work at Boeing where he learned the electrical trade.  While living in Seattle they had their first two sons, Gary Franklin in 1942 and Dennis Mason in 1944.  Eventually they missed their families and moved back to the Midwest, settling in Colby, Kansas where their third son Craig William was born in 1956.  Ruth became a stay at home mother while Frank used his electrical training to get a job for the REA (Rural Electrical Association).  Frank eventually became a manager with the REA and they raised their boys in Colby until Frank became ill with lung cancer and died in 1969.  By then Gary and Dennis were married and living elsewhere, so Ruth and Craig moved to Colorado Springs where she could find work again.  Three years later they moved back to where she grew up in Fort Scott and she went to work again at The Western Fire Ins. Co. so she could be closer to her aging Mother and her brother Bob.

 

In 1974 Ruth married Delmer Chambers who was a VP at The Western Fire Ins. Co.  Ruth and Delmer kept a home in Fort Scott after Delmer’s retirement and also became winter Texans, traveling to McAllen, Texas in the winter.  For years they traveled internationally as well as throughout the US by RV, so Ruth was able to experience many other countries, cultures, and sites. Ruth and Delmer had many friends in Fort Scott and enjoyed socializing, playing cards, dancing and even singing in choral groups.  Ruth was an active member of the Methodist Church in Fort Scott.    

 

In 1991 Ruth became a widow for the second time when Delmer passed away while they were living in Texas.  Following his death she sold their home in Fort Scott but continued to travel north in the summers, driving herself to Gary & Nancy Adams’ home in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to stay in her 5th Wheel during the summers.  She stayed active in McAllen for several winters and eventually she moved to the Village in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, an independent living facility.  While in Scottsbluff she spent many hours making crocheted baby blankets to donate to the local hospital for newborns, she also enjoyed other crafts and reading.  She never tired of playing cards with her friends and family.

 

 

She continued to live at The Village with many of her friends until Gary and Agnes (Gary’s second wife) moved to Tucson, AZ. She then moved to Foothills Place in Tucson into an Assisted Living facility to be near Gary and Agnes, where she lived out her last days.

 

In 2018 Ruth became a Centenarian and we celebrated her birthday in Tucson at Foothills Place with her family, friends, and the Tucson Mayor. She was even featured on the local evening news for her longevity. 

 

Ruth is mourned and survived by her family:  Sons, Gary (Agnes) Adams of Tucson, Arizona and Craig (Susan) Adams of Ashburn, Virginia.  She was preceded in death by her husbands Franklin Adams and Delmer Chambers, by her son Dennis Adams, by her daughter-in-law Nancy Adams, and by her parents William and Jessie Mae Mason and her sister Marguerite, and brothers William, Robert, Ira, and Leo.  

 

Her descendants are grandchildren:  Shaun and Brad Adams, Kristin Kliewer and Jonathan Adams, Dan and Aaron Clark.

 

Her great grandchildren are: Spencer and Seth Adams, Reed and Chloe Adams, Valerie Snyder, Paige Kliewer- McClellan, Elise and Emma Rose Kliewer, Laurel Welch, Alyssa, Nathanael, and Phinehas Adams, Caitlin Clark, Ava and Emma Clark.

 

Her great, great grandchildren are: Jude, Alice and Bigley Welch, Sylas and Taylah Adams.

 

A Memorial Service will be held for Ruth Chambers in Colby, Kansas in mid-June 2020.  Exact date and time to be determined.  

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