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Kathryn Ruhlman Bott, Former Pastor’s Wife

SHORELINE, Wash.—Kathryn Ruhlman Bott died on Feb. 13 at Crista Retirement Home. Kathryn, 92, has a long history as a pastor’s wife in Washington State to first John Ruhlman and then Dean Bott. Even in her last days she was thinking of ministry, expressing her interest in starting new churches, says her son-in-law Darrell Beddoe, regional pastor of the Baptist Network Northwest.

Kathryn was born in Lindley, N.Y., (near Corning) on Aug. 20, 1919, the daughter of Charles and Sarah Hammond, farmers who had descended from early New Englanders.

She married John J. Ruhlman III of Niagara Falls, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 1940. John was a pastor and church planter of Baptist churches in Susquehanna County, Pa., and Bradford, N.Y.

The Ruhlmans’ move west came in the summer of 1946 when Kathryn, John, Johnny (age 5), and Ruthanne (age 3) moved to Bellevue, Wash., where John became pastor of First Baptist Church. In 1955 the family (now with another son, Tom) moved to Bellevue’s new Eastgate subdivision, where John was the organizing pastor of First Baptist Church of Eastgate. Their children Kaylene and Bobby were born around that time. However, the joy of more children was soon marked by sadness, as Bobby passed away in 1959 at the age of 6 months.

John became pastor of Tukwila Baptist Church (now Southcenter Community Baptist Church) in the south Seattle city of Tukwila in 1968. Ten years later, on Nov. 23, 1978, he died of a heart attack at age 61.

Kathryn married Dean Bott, founding pastor of Nooksack Valley Baptist Church in Everson on Aug. 12, 1982. He died on July 3, 1998, after which Kathryn moved to a condo in Everson. There she enjoyed fellowshipping with her neighbors, church, and family, and sewing and gardening until she moved to Shoreline in the spring of 2010 because of osteoporosis.

Kathryn is survived by two sons, John and Tom (pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Shoreline, Wash.); two daughters, Ruthanne Beddoe and Kaylene Jeffers; 18 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18 from noon until 4:00 p.m. at the Chapel of the Resurrection (on the campus of Cedar Park Church) at 16300-112thAve. NE, Bothell, WA 98011.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, Feb. 20 at 2:00 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 16508 – 8th Ave. NE, Shoreline, WA 98155.

Memorials may be sent to Northwest Baptist Home Mission, the home mission agency of the Baptist Network Northwest, at P.O. Box 477, Burbank, WA 99323.

 

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