Ruth Kafer Larson Bradford

Ruthie passed away on Monday, August 23, 2021, in Boise, Idaho, with her children by her side. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 28, at 2:00 p.m. at Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, 5400 Fairview Ave. in, Boise, Idaho.

Ruthie was born on Nov. 10, 1923, in Littleport, Iowa, to Frederick & Florence Kafer,  the fifth of seven children: Kenneth, Dorothy, Lawrence, Helen, Ruthie, Rose, and Paul. The family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1930. The siblings tragically lost both parents within a few years and were all sent to live with various family members. Ruthie and Helen lived with their grandmother in Rapid City. Ruthie learned baking and canning, skills she continued to enjoy throughout her life and that live on through her granddaughters. She began working at age 11 to help support herself and the family.

Ruthie had a tight-knit group of five girlfriends growing up. They loved to swim, hike and sled. Her closest friend was Katie Kennedy (White), whose family welcomed Ruthie as one of their own and whose children still do.

Ruthie married Robert Larson in 1941 in Rapid City. They settled in Boise, Idaho, in 1942 in a duplex on 14th Street. Ruthie gave birth to their first son, Lawrence, in 1943. She always treasured the kindness she received at Booth Memorial Hospital while her husband was away during WWII. Her second son, Linden, was born in 1947, and the family welcomed a daughter, Melanie, in 1954.

Ruthie and Bob loved living in Boise and made lasting friendships with neighbors at each home they lived in. She was a homemaker in the truest sense of the word: making a wonderful home for her family and sharing it with their many friends and an untold number of her kids’ friends who know her as “Aunt Ruthie” or their second mom. In the 1970s, they purchased land in Crouch, Idaho, and built a small cabin on a forested hill. The cabin was a warm and welcoming place for their friends and especially for their grandkids. Ruthie always made everyone feel like part of her family. She was well known for making pies, cookies, and big dinners for all! After the kids were mostly grown, she used her talents as a cook at South Junior High for a few years and for a time worked at the Dutch Oven Cafe. Ruthie and Bob were members of the Eagles Lodge and  loved dancing with their friends.

After Bob passed away in 1992, Ruthie married Vern Bradford in 1997. They began spending winters in Yuma, Arizona, and enjoyed their time there with her son and daughter-in-law and many new friends from around the U.S. and Canada. Vern passed in 2018.

Ruthie cherished her family more than anything. She leaves behind three children, Melanie, Larry (Judy), and Lindy (Carolyn); seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren; brother-in-law Phil Obenchain, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A special thank you goes to the staff of Arbor Village Assisted Living and Treasure Valley Hospice who lovingly cared for our mother and grandmother.

Donations in her memory can be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or your favorite charity.