Ruth Burcham

Longtime Eureka resident and business woman Ruth Richmond Bronson Burcham, 91, died June 13, 2007, at Heritage Place in Kalispell.

Born in Newark, Ill., to Lyle Richmond and Pearl (Green) Richmond on March 29, 1916, Ruth came to Montana with her family in the late 1920s, settling in Olney.

She married Norman Bronson, also of Olney, in 1932. They were married until his death in 1971. The couple had three children, Eleanor, Charles and Fred.

The family moved to Eureka in the late 1930s, where Ruth had been a longtime employee of the Eureka Mercantile and later owned and operated Eureka Floral from 1974 until retiring in 1980.

Ruth married John "Ted" Burcham in 1975, and they moved to the Kalispell area in 1996.

Ruth enjoyed drawing, painting, gardening and crocheting and was an excellent cook. She was a devoted mother and grandmother to 10 grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Norman Bronson and Ted Burcham; daughter Eleanor Bronson; son Charles Bronson; sister Vivian Perry; and brothers Everett and Wayne Richmond.

Survivors include her son Fred Bronson; brother Randall Richmond; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews.

Graveside services took place June 16, 2007, at Tobacco Valley Cemetery in Eureka with the Rev. Pattiann Bennett officiating.