Ruth Lorraine Pedersen Christensen died Sunday, May 6, 2018, from complications relating to Alzheimer's. In hospice care for many years before her death, Ruth died peacefully in her sleep.

She was buried at Crestlawn Cemetery in Norco, Calif.

Ruth was born and raised in the Midwest. She was the youngest of six children of Dr. Andrew Meyer Pedersen, a Danish immigrant, and Anna Sophie (Hansen) Pedersen, who was also a first generation American of Danish parents.

She attended Blair Schools and graduated from high school in 1951. She attended Dana College, received the bachelor of science in medical technology from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. Furthering her education, she was granted the degree of master of arts in healing care management from Central Michigan University.

Ruth was married to Neil W. Christensen in April 1955 in Blair. He was also a student at Dana.

They later divorced. She is survived by daughters, Juli (Lawrence) Koning and their two sons, Elin (Eric) Pittman and their three daughters, Gayle Helinski and her two daughters. She also had five great-grandchildren, many in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends and family too numerous to list all their names, but not to be forgotten.

Ruth was preceded in death by her five siblings. Her brother, Carl, died in September 2017.

Professionally, Ruth was employed in a number of hospitals, both in Nebraska and California. Her long career included assignments in clinical laboratory testing, research, education and sales.

In 1968, she was granted a patent for her design of a Packaged Serum Treater to be used in hospital laboratories across the country. She was also a real estate agent and broker in Riverside, Calif. She opened her own office, Peacock Properties, in La Sierra in 1982.

Ruth loved her family and their traditions. She loved the ocean and started a family tradition of spending many weeks in Del Mar, Calif., with her daughters and their families, a tradition they continue to enjoy to this day.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.~~~