Obituary of Ruby Bingham

Ruby Bingham Ruby passed away peacefully on January 23, 2015 at the age of 102. She is survived by her two sisters, Edna Pasqualetti and Blanche Bittner and her son, Robert O. Bingham. She was born to Harry Martin and Addeline Josephine Combs Rayner on July 6, 1912. Place of birth, Healdsburg, California. She has two sisters, Edna and Blanche and had two brothers, Howard and Roy. In her own words is the life of Ruby Bingham before moving to Tucson in 1951 and eventually retiring. "When I was about four my parents (with Edna and me) followed my father's parents and families and moved to Arizona where they all homesteaded along the Agua Fria River near a small town called Phoenix, They raised the normal vegetables etc., on a farm and later went into the dairy business. I can remember my Uncle Orie coming to visit us. Also, when my parents bought their first new Ford we took a visit back to Healdsburg to visit grandma and grandpa and all had a great time. In 1928 my mother and father separated and mother with her five children moved to Phoenix. Here I finished my high schooling at Phoenix Union in 1931. These were the deep depression years but mother managed to keep us all together. Sister Edna was working for the S. H. Kress Co. and I was working for F. W. Woolworth and come vacation time in 1934 we took a bus with Roy and traveled to San Francisco where Aunt Clare and Uncle Ray met us to take us to join grandma and grandpa. Mother and Blanche were already there visiting. I remember Uncle Ray killing a lamb and we really had a feast. Uncle Orie and Aunt Ethel took us up the Russian River and the Redwoods. After a couple years as a clerk for Woolworth, I moved up to Cashier. In 1935 Ralph Owen (Jack) Bingham was transferred from Pasadena, CA to the Phoenix, AZ store as the Assistant Manager and a romance soon bloomed. He was born in Mulberry Grove, Illinois, and had come west for his health. We were married September 26, 1936. I then went to work for Montgomery Ward store and Goldwaters until Jack was transferred to be the Manager of the Mesa, AZ Woolworth store. It was a small town and we enjoyed all the people there. World War II was being fought and Jack was not physically able to go to war but he was appointed to be on the selective service board which took a lot of his time. He was also a volunteer fireman and worked with Williams Air Base. We had a victory garden and rode bicycles because of the war need for gas and oil. This is also the time I learned to play golf and bridge. In 1944 a baby boy was chosen to be our son. He brought much joy into our lives. The next year in February 1945, Jack was transferred to the Pomona, CA Woolworth store where we lived for about three years then moved on to the Vallejo store in CA. Our son, Robert started kindergarten there, but we were soon transferred to Los Angeles. We had just bought a home in Los Angeles area when Jack took sick and the Doctor advised him to leave the smog for cleaner air as he was losing his voice and lung power. So the Woolworth Company transferred him to Tucson, AZ in January of 1951." Ruby has lived in Tucson since 1951. A special thanks going out to our close friends, John and Donna McCallum, who provided my mom with loving support when she needed it most. If her friends want to honor her memory, a donation to the Heart Foundation would be appreciated. My mother described herself as feisty, but fair. I will miss her. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Dodge Chapel.