Edna Ruth Farquharson

Edna Ruth Farquharson, born to Edward and Alva Holbrook on April 25, 1928, reached her final resting place August 31, 2020.

Ruth was born in Quitaque, TX, moving to Firebaugh, CA when she was 2 years old. A year later they moved to Porterville. By the time she turned 18 years old, she had moved 18 times. She attended local Porterville schools and graduated from Porterville High School in 1946. She met the love of her life, Don Farquharson, while at a Porterville High School football game. Ruth enrolled in nursing school after high school but gave it up when she married Don June 27, 1948. After getting married, the couple moved to San Francisco but their time in the city was short lived. They returned to Porterville in the early 1950s so Don could farm, and they welcomed two children a few years later. Once her children were in school, she became a teacher’s aide and later the choir director at Woodville

Elementary School.

In the 1980s, Don and Ruth purchased Bill’s Liquor eventually changing the location and name to Pioneer Mini Mart. Around the same time, Ruth began working for the local women’s shelter, Central California Crisis Center. She officially retired in 1996 as the shelter’s director. After retirement, she and Don embarked on a journey to travel across America making it to all 50 states, except Hawaii.

Ruth enjoyed being extremely active in the community by being a member in the Monache High Band Boosters becoming one of the first female presidents, teaching Sunday school and playing the organ at Tipton Methodist Church in her younger days and playing the bells and singing in the choir at Porterville’s First United Methodist Church in her later years. Throughout her life, Ruth was involved in the Porterville Women’s Club, Garden Club, Daughters of the American Revolution and Zonta. She had been a member of the Eastern Star since 1960, where she was Worthy Matron in 1967 and 2009 and Deputy Grand Matron in 1971. She was crowned Woman of the Year in 1994 by the Porterville

Camber of Commerce and Woman of Achievement by Zonta in Porterville in 2001.

In her spare time, she enjoyed playing cards with friends, fishing, camping, and being with family. She is survived by her sister Maebelle Flannery, two children Edward Farquharson (Stacey), and Beverly Farquharson; two granddaughters Kari Farquharson (Kris Olsen) and Amanda Farquharson; and three great-grandchildren Tristan, Tauren, and Trinity Farquharson. She is preceded in death by her husband Don of 66 years in 2014 and sisters Louise Freeman and Blanche Sites.

Her family would also like to express their love and gratitude to Dawn Doty and Belia Roundtree for providing such excellent care to Ruth for the past few years.

Her service will be October 16, 2020 at 10:30am at Hillcrest Cemetery. In leu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be sent to Central California Crisis Center at P.O. Box 2033, Porterville, CA 93258, the First United Methodist Church, 344 East Morton Ave. Porterville, CA 93257, or the charity of your choice.