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Ruth Evelyn Smith Thomson, age 95, of Woodburn, Oregon, died on February 8, 2014 at Country Meadows Assisted Living in Woodburn. She was born in New Egypt, New Jersey on June 8, 1918 to Asa Mordecai Smith and Emily Parker Ewan Smith. Due to her mother's illness, she was sent at the age of 22 months to be raised by her father's sister and brother-in-law Emma and H. Lindley Gardiner, Sr. on the family farm in Maple Shade, New Jersey. She always considered the Gardiners to be her parents since they raised her to adulthood. On July 1st, 1944 she married Earl Pemberton Thomson, a Staff Sgt. stationed in the Aleutians. After his discharge, they lived in Palmyra until 1949 when they relocated to Woodburn, Oregon where her father and stepmother had settled and then to Dallas, Oregon in 1954, where Earl resumed his career as an undertaker for Bollman Funeral Home. They returned to Woodburn in 1965 where Earl went to work for Cornwells. Ruth had business school training and had worked for a Seed Company in New Jersey, the Woodburn Public Library and Woodburn High School. She was a member of Woodburn Presbyterian Church and Dallas Presbyterian Church (was a choir member at both Churches) after being raised as a Quaker. She was descended from Willam Matlack who came to America on the ship Kent in 1677 and settled in New Jersey near Philadelphia.She leaves her daughters, Diana Jean Cmeyla (David) of Culpeper, Virginia and Mary T. Dork (William) of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Grandchildren are Eric Cmeyla (MaryAnn) of Williamston, SC, Michael Cmeyla (Angie) of Ashburn, VA, Aimee Cmeyla Dennis (Jamie) of Palmyra, VA and Allison Dork Pulford (Thomas) of Colorado Springs, CO. She also leaves 10 great- grandchildren: PFC Joshua Cmeyla currently in Afghanistan, Kacey Cmeyla of Williamston, SC; Jordan Cmeyla currently in Egypt; Owen, Braden and Nathan Cmeyla of Ashburn, VA; Caleb and Molly Dennis of Palmyra, VA; and Elijah and Natalie Pulford of Colorado Springs, CO. Also her cousins Barbara Gardiner of North Carolina and Bill Gardiner of Texas and Mary Coelho of Cambridge, Mass. Ruth was pre-deceased by her husband, father, mother and her siblings, Paul, Daniel and Elizabeth Smith. Also the family who raised her, Emma and H.L. Gardiner, Sr. and their children H. Lindley Gardiner, Jr. and Frances Gardiner Conrow.Family would like to thank Country Meadows for all the care they gave to their mother Ruth.

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Ruth Evelyn Thomson (Smith)

June 8, 1918 - February 8, 2014