Ruth Eyre

Ruth Eyre, beloved matriarch to her five children, 23 grandchildren and 51 great grandchildren, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2013 at age 91, near the family home she personally designed and had built in Logan. She is now reunited with her husband Dean who preceded her in death by more than 53 years. Ruth's funeral will be Monday, October 14, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. in the Logan 5th Ward LDS Chapel, 502 East 300 North, where she attended church throughout her entire life. Viewings will occur that morning from 9:30 to 10:30 and on the prior Sunday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 at the same location. Ruth Verla Swenson Eyre, the sixth of Dan and Margaret Swenson's ten children, was born in Logan, Utah on August 9, 1922. She completed all of her schooling locally, including a degree from Utah State Agricultural College (aka: USU) in Early Childhood Development. While a student at USU, she met the love of her life, H. Dean Eyre of Rawlins, Wyoming, and they married on July 26, 1943 in the Logan Temple. Ruth and Dean made their first home in Denver, where they both worked in an ammunitions factory as WWII raged. Their first boy was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where Dean was an early employee of the fledgling Marriott Company. Three more boys and then a girl were added during short stints in Salt Lake City and Vernal (where Dean managed restaurants) and finally in Logan, where they relocated to raise their family, while Dean worked managing the college bookstore and later as USU Purchasing Agent. After Dean's untimely death to cancer in 1960, Ruth gracefully and efficiently accepted her role of single parent, and was blessed to see all of her children serve LDS Church missions and each graduate with one or more degrees from various universities. Always active in her faith, Ruth served in numerous Church auxiliary leadership positions, filled a full-time senior proselyting mission from 1992 to 1993 in New Mexico, and for 20 years was a Logan LDS Temple worker. In addition to her family and church service, Ruth leaves three powerful legacies:

1. Founded and developed the volunteer program (the "Pink Ladies") at the Logan LDS Hospital.
2. Founded (and managed for 20 years) the original Joy School preschool in Logan (and developed the Joy School curriculum that is now used by hundreds of schools and tens of thousands of parents throughout the world).
3. Authored Swedehearts, an in-depth biography of her Swedish immigrant parents and the Swenson family, complete with abridgements of their journals and filled with authentic old photos.

Ruth is preceded in death by her husband, her parents and seven siblings: May, Roy (Merla), Dan (Doris), George (Virginia), Grace Turetsky (Phil), Lloyd and Paul (Sharon). She is survived by: two sisters, Beth Hall (Jay), Payson and Margaret Woodbury (Lael), Provo; and all her children, Richard (Linda), Salt Lake City; Chris (Hedy), Fremont, California; Rawlin (Karen), Farr West; Kevan, Logan; and Sheri Peterson (Lynn), Providence. The family expresses appreciation to Kevan Eyre, Karen Eyre and Jan Woodland for their attentive care of Ruth during her gradual decline, making it possible for her to continue living in her own treasured and memory-filled home until the end.