Ruth Baird Bartholomew

Ruth Baird Bartholomew, 95, passed away at peace on Friday, September 8, 2023, in Mapleton, Utah.

Ruth was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1928, in Payson, Utah to Abner Harley and Hazel Rebecca Twede Baird, the fourth of five children. She attended school in Payson, worked on the family farm, and helped with household chores, canning, sewing, and quilting with her mother and grandmother. The family remodeled and added to their one-bedroom West Mountain residence where Ruth called home during her first 23 years. “I was about six before we got indoor plumbing and a bathroom. I remember well those trips to the outhouse because I was so frightened of the cat-faced spiders staring down at me.” She loved riding Hedy, the family horse, always bareback since they didn’t own a saddle.

She followed her siblings to Utah State Agricultural College (Utah State University) where she graduated in 1950 with a degree in Home Economics Education and a minor in English. She taught Foods and Nutrition for one year at South Ogden Jr High School. Later, she taught English, Foods and Nutrition, Health, and Home Living for seven years at Springville High School.

Ruth married her sweetheart Roy Mark Bartholomew on June 21, 1951, in the Salt Lake Temple. They spent their honeymoon harvesting peas. They made their home in Payson, Orem, Provo, Springville, American Fork, and Mapleton. Together they had two daughters and three sons. Her family was the joy of her life. Mark passed away on July 30, 2022; they were married for 71 years.

Ruth’s interests included family history, reading, watching “oldie” movies, sewing, quilting, visiting family and friends, and gardening. Her social life included memberships in sewing and book clubs which met monthly. This allowed Ruth an outlet from daily routines and kept her in touch with cherished friends. She also helped with local pollical campaigns and presided over a state women’s organization. Her handmade pies with ice cream were companions to any special meal.

Ruth loved music, especially the classics. She played the accordion and the piano. She enjoyed live performances or simply listening to the radio. She sang alto in several choirs. She cheered for BYU and the Utah Jazz. Games were “good” when her team won.

In 1987, Ruth and Mark were called to the California Sacramento Mission. They served in Grass Valley and Forest Hill where they created new friendships and helped the congregations grow. Their “missionary apartment” was their 28-foot Silver Streak trailer where Ruth cooked many meals for other missionaries and friends.

Ruth’s life-long service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was diverse. She enjoyed serving in the Sunday School, Primary, Young Women, Relief Society, Scouting, and Genealogical (FamilySearch) organizations. She worked on welfare projects and took hundreds of meals to those in need. She served in the Mount Timpanogos Temple as an ordinance worker with Mark. Ruth was a visiting teacher (ministering sister) for over 70 years. Her most cherished calling was that of Stake Relief Society President and her association with “very choice women,” helping to strengthen families, build leadership, and teach values. Service in the Church was “always a challenge but never a sacrifice.”

Ruth was a standard for patience. She always listened to and spoke well of others. She suffered quietly with rheumatoid arthritis for half of her life. “I really don’t want to complain. I have been greatly blessed with advances in medicine… Our heavenly Father’s blessings have been poured out upon me…”

She kept her covenants with exactness, making sure tithes and fast offerings were contributed each month after a day of fasting. She valued attending weekly sacrament meetings and going to the temple when possible. Ruth loved her family and welcomed births and marriages with quilts; she remembered birthdays with a kind card. Her life of charity expressed her deep faith in and testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

Ruth is survived by a daughter Joan (Mark) McGann-Roth of Mapleton and three sons: Royce (Jan) of McCall, Idaho; Ray (Ann) of Springville; and David (Lynette) of Springville; son-in-law Marc (Sandy) Barlow of Gilbert, Arizona; 24 grandchildren; and 53 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband Mark; daughter Kristine Barlow; son-in-law Michael McGann; her brothers Robert, Frederick, and Alan; and her sister Rachel McOmber.

A funeral celebrating Ruth’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the meetinghouse located at 1068 South 1600 West (Highway 89), in Mapleton. A visitation will start at 9:30 AM preceding the funeral. Interment will be at Springville Evergreen Cemetery.

Her family expresses thanks to all who have befriended and assisted Ruth the past few years, especially neighbors, leaders of the Union Bench Branch, residents and personnel at Spring Gardens Mapleton, and caregivers at iCare Home Health & Hospice.

Condolences for the services may be expressed on this page.

For those unable to join us in person, you may view the Services via YouTube on Saturday, September 16th beginning at 11:00 am at the following link:   https://www.youtube.com/@wheelermortuary6021/streams