30 Jul 1932 – 29 Nov 2023
Wife of Rex LeRoy Allred
Joan Ruth Page Allred received her Heavenly invitation and passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her children on November 29, 2023. We know Dad, her husband Rex, was close by.
Ruthe was born July 30th, 1932, in Los Angeles, CA to Esther Minerva Swapp Page and George Rankin Page and moved shortly to Overton, NV then Ogden UT. She called Ernest W. Cardon her father as he raised her from a very young child to adulthood.
Ruthe met her one true love, Rex L. Allred in Laramie, Wyoming while on a family visit. They corresponded by letter until he returned to BYU to finish his graduate degree. (Mom said she fell in love with him through his letters.) They married and were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple on April 10, 1953. After Rex finished his degree, they moved to Pima, AZ whereupon their three children, Cardon, Karen and Alonzo were born. Rex and Ruthe loved their family, and it was exemplified when their son, Alonzo at the age of three, suffered a traumatic brain injury. They devoted their whole lives to his care, learning processes, and strengthening his limited physical mobility. The family thus moved to Las Vegas in 1963 so that Alonzo would be able to attend a specialized school.
As a poet, Ruthe wrote numerous poems about Alonzo, one entered for the 50th Anniversary American Mothers’ Association, National Literary Awards Journal, and she was the 1985 winner of National Literature Prize for Poetry. Special and ordinary occasions and circumstances brought out her creativity in writing and musings. Many family members and friends were recipients of her thoughtful poetry and writings. Ruthe was a prolific journalist and has left a legacy of history of family life for her children.
Service was Ruthe’s passion and alongside Rex, she served in numerous callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and participated in service opportunities in the community. Friends and associates often expressed gratitude for her enduring and at times long term service and ministration to their needs. Ruthe exemplified Christ-like love and compassion. She demonstrated great faith and love for her Savior and shared that as she worked with the church youth and women, both in small group and large group capacities. She taught her children how to serve and minister by her example, and how to gain their own testimony of Christ. Home was a place of fun, good food, (fudge was her specialty), love, sharing, stories of ancestors, camping and welcomed family, friends, and strangers, at times, to participate with the family. Ruthe and Rex characterized a strong work ethic, strength in unity, and faithfulness, ensuring their children knew who they were and would become successful in their own ways and lives. Ruthe had a laugh that was infectious, a wry sense of humor, and she and Rex enjoyed many a gathering or “Cards Night” with friends. She developed long term, close friends and has missed them immensely. Her calling as a mother was her greatest joy and she never wavered in doing all she could for her children.
Much appreciation is expressed to Elder Care Hospice, especially Joanna and Keisha, for their wonderful care and compassion for Ruthe. The viewing for Ruthe will be held, Friday evening December 15, 2023, 6-8 p.m. at Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave. Funeral services will also be held at Palm on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Interment to follow at Palm Memorial Park.
-Published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV) – Sunday, December 10, 2023.
Las Vegas Review-Journal () , obit for Joan Ruth Allred (Ruthe), GenealogyBank.com