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Obituary for Ruth Stroh Pitman
Ruth Pitman was born in November of 1915, on a homestead in Crowley County, Colorado. The house was one room, with a stove in the middle for cooking and heating. For over a century, she adapted to changes we can barely imagine.
By the time she was starting 8th grade her family had moved to a ranch at Sunnydale, Colorado. The family rented a home in Brighton during the winters, so the kids could attend school. She said that the highlight of this time was driving cattle with her father, from the home place to market in Bennett. She graduated from Brighton High School in 1933, and moved to Denver. From this point, at eighteen years of age, she supported herself.
In Denver, she first had a job teaching typing and secretarial skills at a business college. One of her students was a young man named Lewis Pitman. They built a strong relationship and fell in love. They married in the fall of 1939.
Ruth worked for several Federal agencies from the mid 1930's to the late 1940's. She was proud that after Pearl Harbor, she was offered a job with the War Relocation Authority. They offered her a substantial raise in pay, to $1635 per year. One of her duties at WRA was to inspect the Japanese Interment facility, called Camp Amache, in Crowley County. She was so upset and offended by what she saw that she would not talk about it for years.
Her sons, Steve and Stan, were born in the 1950's. She devoted the decade to raising them. Once Stan started school, she found a job as Secretary to the Counselors at Littleton High School. She worked a LHS for years, making life long friends with colleagues and having a positive impact on many, many students.
She retired from LHS, but found that she missed working, and missed people. She found another job, this time at the headquarters of the Western Athletic Conference offices. She continued there full time, then part time, well into her seventies.
After retirement she continued her commitment to The First Presbyterian Church of Littleton. She had been active in the Church since moving to Littleton in 1956. She served in many ways, from teaching Sunday school, to Church leadership. She often commented that it was one of the most important things in her life. She had many dear, longtime friends in the church, and many important memories.
Ruth was a living history of Colorado, and especially of Littleton. As she got older, she would often tell stories that we had not heard before. On August 1st each year, she wished us "Happy Colorado Day" and asked how we were celebrating. As a Mother and Grandmother, as a Great Grandmother, an Aunt, a friend and a keeper of the past, she will be dearly missed.