Ruth Darlene Peden

March 8, 1941 - February 5, 2021

Ruth Darlene Peden 03/08/41-02/05/2021 Ruth was born to William and Ruth Hartley on March 8th 1941, in the Ozark Mountains of Ava, Missouri. As a little girl she shared a 2 room cabin in the mountains with her parents and siblings. She was the youngest of 13 siblings and was the sole remaining member of her family. In addition to her immediate family she was preceded in death by her husband Bob, a son, a granddaughter and grandson. She leaves behind 3 children , 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She made a family with her husband of 47 years Robert Reid Peden. Together they raised 4 children in Eastern Washington, etching out a living and leaving a legacy of hard work, dedication to family and an iron will that would permeate the lives of her children and grandchildren. Darlene was the matriarch of the family and a homemaker at heart always doing her best to shower those around her with affection through family meals. She gifted her family with a love of southern fried cast iron cooking, the largest collection of country crock tupperware in Grant county and fond memories of her tenacity and spunk, shared through stories of her childhood in the mountains, bar fights in her younger days, and accidentally carrying a gun into Seatac airport. As a grandmother she doted on her grandchildren with crafts, gardening, book reading and endless laughs. In her elder years she was unabashed by her colorful choice of words and always provided those around her with a laugh. She spent her last 2 years as a resident of Golden Age Senior Living and was cared for diligently by the staff. She will be missed by her loved ones but there is gratitude knowing she was welcomed home into the arms of Jesus and those who went before her.