Mavis Ruth (Palmer) Proctor

MAVIS RUTH PROCTOR

June 18, 1932 – July 15, 2025

Ruth Proctor passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on July 15, 2025.  She was born June 18, 1932 to Giles Wilford and Antoinette Lavina Palmer at home near Garneill in Judith Basin County, Montana.  Her family moved to Oregon when Ruth was three years old.  In 1949, she was attending high school in Sandy, Oregon, when she met and married her husband, Leo Tipton “Tip” Proctor. Throughout 67 years of marriage, Ruth and Tip split their time living, working, raising their family, and gathering friends in Central Oregon, Lake County and Wallowa County, Oregon, and Tip’s home state of Missouri.

Tip worked on many ranches during his lifetime, and Ruth was always there to cook for the buckaroos or hay crew, or hunters or whoever stopped by just to visit.  She was well-known for her hot biscuits and pies.  Almost everywhere they lived, Ruth raised a garden and often had fruit trees - she always had canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables on hand for a quick meal.  The Proctors often had a milk cow and chickens, with a supply of beef, pork and wild game in the freezer.  Ruth and Tip bred and raised rabbits for market for several years.  At various times, Ruth worked out of the home at banks, factories, and local businesses. 

Tip’s grandmother, Granny John, taught Ruth how to hand quilt, which became a lifelong passion.  She quilted for a quilt shop in Portland for a time, and through the years quilted hundreds of quilts.  Her award-winning quilts were displayed at fairs, quilt shows, and in antique shops in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Missouri.  She also enjoyed various types of fancy embroidery, including hardanger, tatting, counted cross-stitch, etc.  She also enjoyed reading and the challenge of a good jigsaw puzzle.

Ruth was loved for her sense of humor and her adventurous spirit – she loved carnival rides all her life (the wilder, the better), she talked her mother into joining her for a helicopter ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, she bungee jumped in her 70s, she skydived when she was 88, she went up in a hot air balloon when she was 90, and she went dog sledding when she was 91.  Ruth loved traveling in the motorhome and camper and thoroughly enjoyed a vacation to Hawaii.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Shirley Jacobs of Powell Butte, son Rondo (Cathy) Proctor of Lakeview, grandson John Arbogast of Lewiston, Idaho, granddaughter Tonia (Layne) Roberts of Bend, grandson Justin (Mandy) Arbogast of Houston, Missouri, five great-grandchildren, six great, great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.  Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Tip, her parents, three sisters, and two brothers.  At Ruth’s request, no service will be held. 

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