Ruth Keller Obituary

RUTH ELINOR OLSON KELLER
November 26, 1927 ˜ March 28, 2023

Ruthie was born Nov. 26, 1927, to Ernest Sigvald Olson and Edith Olivia Swanman Olson in Portland, OR. She was named after her aunt Ruth Swanman and came into the world under the wonderful care of another aunt, Alice Swanman, who was the founder of the Emanuel Hospital maternity department.
She grew up with older brothers Dr. Don, Martin and Harold on 8th St. (now N.E. 8th Ave.) just three doors down from her Swanman grandparents and one block away from Highland Grade School. Her father was credit manager for Ballou & Wright, a distributor of bike, motorcycle and car parts; her mother was a bookkeeper for the Portland Seed Company. Ruthie’s parents met at Augustana Lutheran Church where Edith played organ and Ernest was in the choir. Her grandfather Charles Swanman operated a grocery at Union and Skidmore, and Ruthie recalled riding with him on delivery runs to Vancouver, always being treated with an ice cream cone on the way home.
The Olsons and Swanmans were part of a large Swedish community, and mom grew up around a smorgasbord of aromas from homemade Swedish meatballs, cookies, pies and stinky Lutefisk. Mom was a child of the Depression _ until her dying day she would insist that every light be turned off and every possible thing be saved. S&H green stamps helped finance family purchases. Dinner on 8th St. usually consisted of “the 3 B’s”: beans, bacon and baked potatoes. The Olsons spent summer vacations in Seaview, WA, and Ruthie was featured on the front page of the Ilwaco Tribune for saving a drowning boy when she was 13.
Ruthie’s passion was music. Her parents bought her a used Steinway piano and the Swanman aunts supported Ruthie with classical piano lessons from well-known teacher Lillian Pettibone. Through years of practicing, Ruthie became a concert pianist, soloing as a teenager at the Portland Art Museum and playing Marche Militaire at the Portland Public Auditorium (now Keller Auditorium). She also sang beautifully and became a choir member and soloist in church.
She graduated from Jefferson High School in 1945. At “Jeff” Ruthie was Student Body Vice President, lead actress in the play “Student Queen,” and a member of the “Wiki” sorority. She would ride her bike to Emanuel Hospital for her summer job, sterilizing equipment for the lab. Friday night movies were followed by dessert at Yaws Top Notch. Mom learned to swim at Jantzen Beach and would spend summer days there with her friends.
Ruthie enrolled in Reed College for her first two collegiate years and then transferred to the U. of Washington, majoring in acting and graduating in 1950. She was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta house and introduced sorority sister Susy Lynch to her future husband, brother Harold Olson. Ruthie also played cupid for brother Martin, introducing him to future wife Anne Hopper, with whom she had shared piano lessons.
Upon graduation she landed a job with Northwest Airlines as a ticket agent at the Portland Airport, but her career really took off at United Airlines where she later worked 8 years. The skyhops and agents would recognize mom at the airport for decades. She flew around town in her VW Bug, the first one in Portland to be painted beige instead of factory black.
In 1954 she began waiving extra baggage fees for a young businessman who tickled her fancy, Dick Keller, an executive with Western Kraft Corp. She was delighted to get to know someone from the famous Kraft cheese company, only to find out Western Kraft just made the corrugated boxes that held the Kraft cheese. They were married March 30, 1957 at First Presbyterian Church in Portland and started their family with the arrival of Richard in 1958, followed by Libby in 1961 and Charles in 1963.
Ruthie would always greet people with a smile and a kind word. She was outgoing and generated light and energy for family and friends. While helping to plan her 90th birthday celebration she confidently declared, “I may have dementia, but I still know how to throw a party!” Mom spent the last two years of her life at Touchmark in Vancouver. She was famous there for inciting fellow diners to belt out lively renditions of God Bless America or hymns like Jesus Loves Me and God Be With You Until We Meet Again.
Ruthie served 1968 to 1984 as a board member of the Oregon Symphony and was involved with the Junior League and Wilson High PTA. She was a longtime member of the Town Club and “The Dreamers” investment club.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brothers and grandson Cade Keller. Survivors include son Richard Keller Jr. (Patty); daughter Libby McCaslin (Michael) and son Charles Keller (Ellen); grandchildren Charlie (Allison and daughter Elliot), KK and Frances McCaslin and Patrick, John, Wilson and Chaz Keller.
In lieu of flowers the family suggest remembrances be contributions to the Oregon Symphony’s Ruthie Keller Fund for Artistic Excellence. A celebration of Ruthie’s life will be held 3 p.m. May 12 at the Town Club.
God Bless America and God Bless Ruthie!
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