Ruth Elaine Leaman Stevens was born in Mason City, Iowa on May 13, 1929, to Ira and Hazel Leaman.  The 4th of six children, she graduated from Mason City High School.  After working for a few years, she married Leroy "Pete" Stevens in May 1954 and moved to the Stevens family farm outside of Mason City.  She and Pete had three children, Becky, Laura, and Jay.

The family moved to Iowa City, Iowa in 1962, then to Pocatello, Idaho, in 1964, where Ruth worked for the Social Security Administration.  In 1968, they moved to Soda Springs, Idaho, and Ruth began work at the Monsanto plant as a secretary in the Engineering Department.   In 1986, Ruth took an early retirement offer from Monsanto and enrolled full time at Idaho State University, earning a bachelor's degree in social work.  She then worked as a child welfare caseworker for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for four years.

Ruth traveled with her husband Pete for the next 15 years, spending winters in Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Maryland, Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona.  They returned to live permanently in Idaho when Pete's health declined, purchasing a house in Chubbuck.  Pete passed away in 2013.

Ruth is survived by her daughters Becky (Pocatello, Idaho) and Laura (Boise, Idaho), her grandson Derek (Parker, Colorado), and nieces and nephews living around the country.

Services will be held on November 10, 2025, at 11:00 am at the Presbyterian Church in Soda Springs.