Ruth Shirley Blair

Ruth Shirley (Ylinen) Blair passed away peacefully May 3, 2025, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. When Ruth was born on December 3, 1926, in Brainerd, Minnesota, her father Emil, was 22, and her mother, Madge, was 20. Ruth was the oldest of five children. They lived on a farm near Brainerd but moved in 1930 to where work for Emil was more plentiful, St. Paul. Emil died from pneumonia in 1932. Madge was left to raise her 2 daughters and 3 sons which she did and became an example for Ruth to follow later. It was St. Paul where she met, fell in love with, and married Harry Robert Blair, Jr. in September 1946. He was a charming and handsome young man. They moved to Bangor Maine where Harry was stationed for the military. At first it was lonely, but she made friends easily and, of course, Sharon and Karon kept her busy. They returned to St. Paul where Cindy, and then Michael, joined their little family. Unfortunately, their marriage was not to be the happily-ever-after she had hoped for. Ruth divorced Harry in 1955. In a time when women did not work outside the home, Ruth found a clerical job with the IRS downtown St. Paul. Later, after retiring from the IRS, she moved on to a clerical position for the U. S. Agricultural Department in South St. Paul. She was a single parent raising her four children alone. She did, however, have a strong support group, her brothers and sister, her mother Madge, and in-laws Ella and Harry Blair. In 1967, Ruth was so proud that she was able to buy a home for her family, 256 E. Sydney Street, in St. Paul. It has been the home base for many family members over these five decades. Ruth is survived by her son Michael Blair of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; her sixteen grandchildren, Christina White, Kathryn Valtierra, Jacob Valtierra, Daniel Valtierra, TJ Valtierra, Michelle Valtierra, Bich Son Nguyen, Tommy Gibbons, Shawn Gibbons, Patrick Gibbons, Amber Kidd, Dean Blair, Jason Blair, Alicia First, Dayna Dant, Marin Baltes, 38 great grandchildren, and 27 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings: Kenneth, Gerald, and Davey Ylinen, and Joanne Devereaux

Tributes

Ruth Shirley Blair

December 3, 1926 - May 3, 2025

Tributes

Ruth Shirley Blair

December 3, 1926 - May 3, 2025

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