Ruth Gardner Adair Palmer

Married Life

She married Clarence Adair on 22 September 1924. She was just 17. Clarence's work took them to many different places stretching from New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, California, Oregon and Idaho. Four children were born to them during their short, but loving, nine-year marriage. Clarence died after a lengthy illness when Ruth was only 26 years old. She and her four children moved in with her in-Iaws in Bloornfield.

Ruth had only lived with her in-Iaws for a few months when recently widowed Alma James Palmer called on her. An elder had told him about a widow with four small children that he should meet. He went home, and prayed about the advice. The next morning, when he saw Ruth's face in the palm of his hand, he decided that it was a sign of what was to be, and paid her a visit. On their second date, Ruth cooked dinner for him. While she prepared the food, Al took the children for a ride in his pickup to get acquainted with them. They later went to a dance.

Their courtship lasted just one week. They drove to Salt Lake City where they were married in the temple on 16 August 1933. This marriage lasted until Al died 15 June 1970. They added eight more children to the 12 that they already had between them. Their life at Kirtland was filled with hard work making a living, carrying out their church duties and raising their burgeoning family. During this time, they were saddened by the loss of their first child together, James Gardner Palmer. They survived the depression and the Second World War with much less trouble than many. Al's older children were also starting to grow up, marry and start their own families. Ruth had a very good relationship with Al's older children, some who were not that much younger than she.

They moved to a dairy ranch in Tiffany, Colorado in 1947 where the family they created together grew up. They lived there for 18 years. Mother always said that she never truly felt at home in Tiffany; that she was just camping out for a time. Their first Tiffany home burned down just before Christmas in 1951. They built the basement house the following summer. Ivin and Elma raised their family in this house, and live there to this day.

In addition to the hard work of gardening, ranching and raising a family, Ruth served as a member of the Relief Society for the entire time they lived in Tiffany as well as teaching Sunday School and doing many other jobs for the little branch there. She and Al returned to Kirtland after his retirement in 1965.

Ruth was an avid gardener. Her love of gardening was passed on to her children, some of whom are to this day, master gardeners, like Perry and Ivin. She spent long hours every day from early spring to late autumn working in her garden, weeding, irrigating, and doing whatever else was needed. She considered weeds her enemies, and was very proud of her weed -free garden. She often said she would be happy to eat all the weeds you could find in her garden. Of course, we never could find any. Some of the children have fond memories of working in the garden with our mother. She taught us how to garden and shared her stories and wisdom with us as we worked. She would help us set up our own little flower or vegetable plots, and was very generous with her praise when we did a good job taking care of them.

Of all her gardening activities, raising flowers was Mom's favorite. She loved flowers. All kinds of flowers. Her home and yard reflected that love. Her flowers were well known to the community. People would often stop in front of her homes in Tiffany and Kirtland to remark upon all the beautiful flowers. She provided many floral arrangements for the LDS Ward in Kirtland, as well as for numerous weddings and other occasions. Always at no cost to the beneficiary-it was her pleasure to give her lovely flowers.

Flowers

a poem by granddaughter Cheryl Speth

The day was hot, the air was sweet
There was grandma standing in rows so neat.
The rows contained special gifts from God;
Delicate and pretty flowers that sprang from the sod
She went out each morn and stopped before night
Making sure the weeds were gone and each flower all right.
Every one around would always say
"You have the loveliest garden I have seen this day."

Grandma' s garden is growing still;
But not in any rows or on any hill
To see the flowers, so delicate and pretty,
You need to look in country, town, and city.
Look for her children who all have grown
And have planted seeds of their very own.
Their seeds have grown and went their way.
They'll continue the cycle and care for their flowers each day.
Delicate and pretty flowers sprung from the sod
Special gifts from a loving God.

Ruth had no sense of smell whatsoever, so she was not able to enjoy the scents of her many flowers. One Sunday, she made a beautiful bouquet of Marigolds, and put it on the podium. She couldn't understand why, whenever somebody passed her arrangement, they would make a funny face. Marigolds stink! This handicap was a blessing at times. She couldn't smell skunks, stinky diapers, or other offensive odors.