Ruth Arlene Stephens

Layton, Ut. - Ruth Arlene Stephens, 93, passed away on June 8, 2016 after a short illness.

Ruth was born December 23, 1922 in East Donegal Township, Lancaster, Pa., to parents Thomas and Rosetta Wilkinson. She graduated from East Donegal High School and begin attending Art School when she met her future husband, Blaine Howard Stephens (Stevie). They married July 2nd, 1950. After moving to Utah in 1965 Blaine worked on Hill Air Force Base as a Civil Engineer before passing away in 1971. Ruth worked into her 80s, most recently at the Walmart Super Center in Layton as everyone’s favorite door greeter. At one time Ruth ran the bingo game for seniors in the Walmart snack bar and the local newspaper did a story on Ruth and the success of the program.

Ruth loved to garden and had an enormous amount of vegetables to share with her family and friends every summer. She also loved to collect dolls and knick-knacks and always had a bowl of circus peanuts, candy corn, or black jellybeans and a Pepsi next to her chair at home to snack on.

She is survived by her three children, Rose (Bruce) Austin Everett, Wa., Theresa Haring, Layton, Ut., and Shawn (Carol) Stephens, Kaysville, Ut., two sisters Betty Myers and Shirley Roberts, Mt. Joy, Pa., and one brother Merle Dean Wilkinson, Millersberg, Pa., 13 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Rosetta, husband Stevie, brothers Richard, Robert, Dale, and George, and sisters Elsie, and Grace.

We will have an open house for Ruth on Thursday, June 16, 2016 from 2 to 5pm at the Fort Lane Apartments Club House, 300 N. Fort Lane, Layton, Ut., where friends and family are invited for refreshments and sharing stories of Ruth.