Ruth Lawrence Jensen April 13, 1932 - October 20, 2025

Ruth Lawrence Jensen was born on April 13, 1932, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Harold Elmer Lawrence and Ruth Shewell Lawrence. She was the third of ten children, eight girls and two boys. The family settled in Salem, Utah, a small town where the children could spread their wings. Summers were spent swimming in Salem Pond and winters skating on the same pond when the ice was thick. This would be the site of many family reunions over the years, where grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins would picnic and play games as they reconnected every year on Memorial Day.
Ruth loved animals and would often bring home stray cats and dogs. The family had hundreds of chickens that provided much needed food for the large family and endless fun for the kids. Once Ruth found an injured horse, which she, of course, brought home. She enlisted the help of a neighbor to fix the horse’s injuries. Though she would have loved to keep the horse for herself, the owner was eventually found and the horse returned.
Attending high school in nearby Spanish Fork, Ruth was able to blossom. She was kind and fun-loving and made lots of friends. Because of her love for sports, she could be found actively participating on the track, softball and tumbling teams. As an adult she would often coach girls in softball in the church sports program.
Ruth also loved music and participated in musical competitions during high school and had solos in the school opera, perhaps taking after her beloved Aunt Blanche Shewell, who was a stage and opera star and soloist with the tabernacle choir at 16.
It was in a history class at Spanish Fork High School where she met Richard Jensen. He was a year older, born on May 13 (a significant day in their lives). They also participated in the typing club. Their high school romance led to Richard proposing shortly after she graduated in 1950. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on September 13, 1950.
Ruth said her favorite time in life was being home with her family and her young children: Laura, Eileen, JoAnn and David. The family lived in the Salt Lake area until relocating to Glasgow, Montana for Richard’s job. In 1964 they moved to Orem, Utah, later spending time in Upland, California and then back to Orem.
Ruth loved to sew. She made a suit to wear to her high school graduation and created many well-loved blankets for her grandchildren. She worked for many years at the Cotton Shop, a fabric store in Provo. As store manager, she made buying trips to Southern California and shared her talents and sparkling personality with employees and customers. When the Cotton Shop closed, she managed the Hallmark store in downtown Provo.
Being a faithful, lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ruth served in many capacities over the years including a Senior mission in the Corpus Christi Texas Mission and the Issaquah Washington Mission. Her most cherished service was in the Provo Temple where she was a Temple Worker for many years. She rode the bus several days a week to get there for her shifts.
Ruth loved her family and her friends. She played bingo, rode stationary bikes, danced Zumba and had lunches at the Provo Senior Center. She enjoyed walking every day until her stroke 2 years ago.
After her stroke, Ruth moved to Legacy House of Spanish Fork, where she made new friends and enjoyed bingo, beachball volleyball, church meetings and activities and meals with special friends.
Another stroke made life more difficult, but her faith and love for her family endured through the challenges. Ruth passed away peacefully on October 20 after spending several days with her children and grandchildren. She was held in the arms of her loving family as she quietly left this earth and rejoined her Savior and loved ones who were waiting for her there.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, two great granddaughters (Jillian & Aria), siblings Diane Strong, David Lawrence, Halene Pedersen and John Lawrence.
She is survived by her sisters: Barbara Jones, Louise Rogerson, Donna Schwartz, Esther Larsen and Becky Warner; and her children: Laura (Lloyd) Pace, Eileen Prevost, JoAnn (Kerry) Sutherland and David (Kim) Jensen. Eleven grandchildren: Jason, Mike, Tiffany, Meagan, Amanda, Christian, Amber, Dillon, Shea, Taylor and Daniel. Twenty-two great grandchildren, Noah, Adam, Katie, Beckham, Finn, Cambria, David, Nathan, Jonathan, Colton, Britta, Xander, Bodhi, Piper, Selena, Kira, Jada, Savanna, Emma, Hailey, Brinley and Spencer.
Services will be held on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 1 PM at Walker Funeral Home in Spanish Fork, Utah, with a viewing from 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM. Interment will be at the Salem City Cemetery.
We would like to offer special thanks to the residents and staff of Legacy House Spanish Fork and Renew Hospice for their kindness and tender loving care of our mother.