Ruth Friggens

Ruth Lillian Friggens age 99 of Homer Alaska, died Wednesday, June 4, 2008 peacefully at home in Homer of natural causes. A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p,m. Friday, June 27, 2008 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Belle Fourche with Pastor Jean Helmer officiating. Her cremains will be buried at Pine Slope Cemetery next to her husband Earl. There will be no visitation. Arrangements are with Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche. Memorial donations may be made to First Congregational United Church of Christ in Belle Fourche or Homer United Methodist Church, 770 East End Road, Homer, AK 99603 in memory of Ruth. Ruth was born on a small, irrigated ranch near Roscoe, Montana, on December 9, 1908. Her mother died 3 years later. Ruth grew up there attending a rural one-room school until her family moved to Bozeman when she was in 8th grade. By the time she graduated from Gallatin County High School in 1926 both her father and her grandmother, who helped raise her, had died, and she was on her own. She won a scholarship to attend a state normal school at Dillon graduating in1929. While at Dillon she and Violet McFeeters were quarantined together with smallpox; their lifelong friendship ended with Violet's death in 2003. In 1933 Ruth graduated from the University of Montana at Missoula and was granted a state Lifetime Teaching Certificate. She taught rural schools for a total of 5 years before marrying John G. Arbuckle of Albion, Montana, in 1936. They had 3 children. The family moved to Belle Fourche a few years before John's death in 1950. At that time Ruth had to get a birth certificate and Social Security number in order to be employed by the local telephone company. She worked there for 5 years and then went back to teaching a one-room school. In 1957 she married Earl S. Friggens. After he retired, they enjoyed traveling both independently and on bus tours. He died in 1988. In 1997 Ruth came to Homer, Alaska, to live with her daughter and son in-law Rieta and Darrell Walker. Ruth was active in various organizations including Eastern Star, Extension Homemakers (FCE), Book and Thimble Club, Rocking Chair Club, RSVP (a retirees' volunteer organization) Belle Fourche and Homer Senior Citizens. She was a Grey Lady (hospital volunteer) and personal shopper and reader for long term care residents. She volunteered to work with children teaching Sunday school, doing various jobs in the public schools and as a leader for 4-H and Brownie Scouts. She was a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Belle Fourche and Homer United Methodist Church in Homer Alaska. The family wrote, 'When asked what she wanted to be remembered for, Mom said, 'Tell them that I overcame.' And indeed, she did overcome many of the circumstances of her life with faith, optimism, and thanksgiving.' She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Rieta and Darrell Walker of Homer Alaska; son-in-law George Boyajian of LaHabra, California; 6 grandchildren: Donald Clifford, Jr., D'lene Booth, d'Arcy Bostic, David Clifford, Wendy Noomah, and Janiece West; and 13 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother and 3 sisters, as well as both her husbands, her son George Lewis Arbuckle, and her daughter Joyce Clifford Boyajian.