RUTH ELEANOR APPLING HOSKINS

Ruth Eleanor Appling Hoskins

Dec. 31, 1925 – May 14, 2017

Our dear mother and grandmother, Ruth Hoskins, 91, left this earth, on Mother's Day, May 14, 2017 to join her husband Leonard in Heaven. They are both in the presence of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Ruth was born December 31, 1925 in Fresno, California, the youngest of six children, to Cornelius Joshua and Florence Louise Holden Appling. Her father was the principal of Madison Elementary School and her mother was a teacher. Ruth attended school in Fresno from first grade through high school and studied Elementary Education and Library Science at Fresno State College.

She met the love of her life, Leonard Hoskins, at the Fresno Methodist church. He was giving a slide presentation about Hawaii, where he had recently served in the United States Army. At that time, slides were loaded and unloaded in the projector one slide at a time. After the show, Ruth saw that he had quite a large pile of slides to put away so she offered to help him. They were married six months later in that same church on January 4, 1946, a union that lasted 55 years, until Leonard's death in 2001.

They began married life in Moscow, Idaho, where Leonard attended the University of Idaho and received his Master's degree in Wildlife Management. In 1952, Leonard accepted a job with the Nevada Fish and Game Department in Elko, Nevada where he eventually became Regional Supervisor for several northern Nevada counties and retired in 1980. Ruth was a librarian for Elko County Library for several years and especially enjoyed driving the Bookmobile to many Nevada rural areas that did not have libraries.

Ruth and Leonard faithfully attended the First Presbyterian Church, where they served and made many friends. Ruth loved to sing and was often the soloist in the church choir. She also enjoyed playing the piano, sewing quilts, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.

She especially loved traveling with Leonard and often spoke of the many trips they took together including Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, and Florida. They were both avid bird watchers. They traveled all around the United States in their motor home, seeking many different birds and enjoying nature. Their children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren have wonderful memories of summer vacations, camping, hiking and fishing trips we all shared together.

Ruth was optimistic, kind-hearted, generous, and loved by all who knew her. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to all. She influenced and touched many lives for the better and will always be missed, remembered and cherished.

Ruth was recently a resident of Highland Manor in Elko and was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard, her daughter Leah Bartlett in 1980, her parents and her five siblings, Phillip, Robert, Ray, Marjorie and Elaine. She is survived by her son, Gary Hoskins of Elko, her daughters, Bonnie (Donald) Muckel of Lamoille, Mary (Richard) Bell of Reno, her grandchildren, Sunshine, Stuart, Sheri, Amy, Dana, Jeanine, Nathan and Rachel, her great grandchildren, Ashlei, Izaak, Cal, Destiny, Annika, Jeffrey, Griffin, Evan, Mattea, Nella, Owen, her great great grandchildren, Maggie and Katie and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service and celebration of Ruth's life will be held at 10:00 AM, July 8, 2017 at the First Presbyterian Church, 1559 Sewell Drive, Elko Nevada