Ruth Marie Shirley Watterud

Ruth Marie Shirley Watterud, born Dec. 28, 1921 in Stidham, Oklahoma, passed away on Monday, Oct. 3, 2016 surrounded by her family at her home in Whitefish.

The fourth oldest of 12 children of Bertie Loranzo Dow Shirley and Emley Missouri Hyde Shirley, she grew up in Oklahoma and was proud of her heritage.

She eventually moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, for work and there met the love of her life, Rudolph Wilhelm Watterud (Rudy).They were married in 1946 and eventually found their way to Whitefish, where Ruth has lived since 1948. Together with her son Bernie, they built a two-room house where they lived while they completed the construction of their home in Whitefish.

Ruth was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved quilting and making homemade bread from scratch. She wasn’t able to garden for many years, but loved to watch her deer that would bed down nightly in the garden area. She was also very politically conservative and didn’t hesitate to contact her state and local representatives to give them advice.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband Rudy, nine of her siblings, her parents, and three children; Betty Watterud St John, Myrna Watterud Ash and Bernie Esker Garrett (Pat Watterud). She is survived by two siblings, Lois Shirley Adams (Oklahoma) and Joe Shirley (Louisiana); three children, William Watterud (Bill), Mr. and Mrs. Shirl Morrill (Debbie), and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Watterud (Sandee); 18 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great- grandchildren.

There will be a viewing held at the Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish on Friday, Oct. 7 from 6-8 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10-10:45 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 6330 US Highway 93 South, Whitefish. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016.