Elizabeth Anne Ruffner Beebe

Elizabeth Anne “Betty” Beebe (94), passed away Thursday morning, September 1, 2016 in Spokane, Washington. Betty was born Sunday, May 14, 1922 in Omaha, Nebraska to the home of Edwin G. & Madaline Ruffner. Following graduation from high school, Betty completed the nursing program at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, graduating as a Registered Nurse. In 1963 Betty was one of the original nurses hired by the new Lincoln County Hospital in Davenport, Washington and was a Registered Nurse with the Lincoln County Health District for seventeen years. Always active Betty worked tirelessly for the good of her community she was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Davenport for 60 years, the Davenport City Planning Commission and Davenport’s VFW Post #7480 Auxiliary for 50 years. Betty volunteered at the VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington calling bingo with her husband Howard Beebe for 15 years, with the blood bank for over 25 years being named “1990 Canteen Volunteer of the Year” and the “Community Care and Share” – from which she would retrieve unwanted blankets, then launder and repair them prior to delivering them along with newspapers for use by the Spokane Humane Society. In recognition of her selfless dedication to her community, Betty was honored to be Grand Marshall in the Pioneer Days Parade. Not one to slow down in later years, Betty continued to drive where she wished…to the Yakima, Washington VFW Convention when she was 85 years of age, to the Creston Washington High All School Reunion in 2015, only giving up her keys in November of 2015 at the age of 93 years. When not driving about North Central Washington and/or volunteering, Betty loved to work in her yard tending to flowers and growing vegetables in her garden - which she loved to can along with many different kinds of fruit.

Predeceased by her two husbands: Kenneth Anderson in 1966 and Howard Beebe in 1995, two brothers and two sisters; Betty’s legacy lives on through her children: Wesley Anderson, Teresa Paulson, Catherine Anderson (Carter Haack), Lynn Wolfe and Roger Beebe (Mickey); Ten Grandchildren; Numerous Great-Grandchildren, brother: Paul Ruffner and numerous nieces and nephews.

From 3:00pm – 5:00pm on Wednesday, September 7, 2016, a public visitation will be held for Betty at Strate Funeral Home in Davenport, Washington. There will be a Rosary Service at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, 5021 N. Nelson, Spokane, Washington 99217 at 5:30pm on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. Her Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00pm on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Davenport, Washington, with graveside services to follow at Mountain View Cemetery, Davenport, Washington.

Betty’s family requests that any gifts be given in her memory to the American Cancer Society, 4535 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116, Phone:(206) 937-7169, http://www.cancer.org/ or The Spokane Humane Society, 6607 N Havana St., Spokane, WA 99217, (509) 467-5235 http://www.spokanehumanesociety.org/

Please sign Betty’s online guestbook at www.stratefuneralhome.com. Strate Funeral Home of Davenport, Washington is serving her family.