Ruth Anne Becktell, known affectionately as Ruth, went to her heavenly home with her savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 12, 2023, in Brookings, Oregon, at the age of 79 after fighting with cancer for three years. She was born on March 15, 1944, in Dallas, Texas, to the late Herbert W. Butt and Olive Butt.
Ruth will be immediately missed by her surviving family: Mark R. Becktell, husband, Valerie J. Becktell, daughter, Martin R. Becktell, son, who will be mourning their loss of their dear Wife and Mother respectively.
In the words of her husband, Mark, "Ruth was the sweetest, kindest, caring, and most generous person God ever put on this green earth. She had a heart of gold and touched the lives of everyone she met.” And her son Martin remembers her as, “A truth seeker, curious, intuitive, joyful, and a tireless servant of her family and friends.” Ruth will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Ruth graduated from Tigard High school in 1961 and then went on to obtain a bachelors degree in education from Portland State University in 1965. She taught 1st grade at J Templeton School in Tigard, Oregon from 1966 to 1969. She had a passion for teaching, spending hours planning special activities and crafts for her students, but she also became disenchanted by government-sponsored modernist schooling and with the encouragement of her husband decided to be a full time homemaker.
At home Ruth followed a variety of callings. She continued to play the piano, which she had mastered while still a youth. She gardened, and read about homeschooling, becoming one of the pioneering homeschool mothers in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where she and Mark moved to in 1974 and where she gave birth to her children. She also read voraciously and gained numerous friends whom she would selflessly serve when needed.
Ruth attended Coeur d’Alene Bible Church for years and then Christ the King Lutheran Church, also in Coeur d’Alene, where she played the piano for services and accompanied soloists and special choirs. Being the daughter of a pastor, her Evangelical Christian faith was at the center of her identity her whole life and she constantly turned to her Bible and prayer and sacred music for guidance and comfort.
Ruth will be lovingly remembered by her surviving siblings: Elaine Warner, Dorothy Lewis, Lois Tusant, Naomi Altemus, Irene Weldon, Jonathon Weldon, Ester Cook, and Rachel Weldon. She was preceded in death by her brother, Stephen Butt.
A service honoring Ruth's life will be held on Monday, September 25, 2023, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Redwood Memorial Chapel, located at 1020 Fifield Street, Brookings, OR 97415.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that contributions be made to the American Bible Society in memory of Ruth.
The compassionate professionals at Redwood Memorial Chapel in Brookings, Oregon, are assisting the family with the arrangements.
May Ruth Becktell's soul find eternal rest, and may her memory be a source of comfort and inspiration to all who knew her.
