Ruth Elizabeth Friesen LAST NAME: Friesen FIRST NAME: Ruth MIDDLE NAME: Elizabeth NICKNAME:  MAIDEN NAME: Van Laanen AKA 1:  AKA 2:  AKA 3:  TITLE:  GENDER: F MILITARY:  BORN: 29 Oct 1918 DIED: 27 Sep 2007 BURIED:  ETHNICITY:   OCCUPATION:   BIRTH PLACE:  Salem, Marion Co., Oregon DEATH PLACE: Salem, Marion Co., Oregon NOTES:  1920 OR CENSUS - Ruth Van Laanen, age 1, b. Oregon, is enumerated with George Van Laanen, age 47, house painter, b. Netherlands, year of immigration 1881, and Mae, age 33, b. Oregon. Also enumerated is Lucy Johns, identified as mother in law [of George], age 68, widow. OBITUARY:  SALEM - Ruth Elizabeth Friesen of Salem died Thursday, September 27. She was 88 years old. Ruth was born in Salem on October 29, 1918 to George and Mae Johns Van Laanen. She married Harry E. Friesen on March 16, 1938 in Vancouver, Washington.  Through the years, she worked for the Polk County Extension Service, the City of Eugene, the City of Milwaukee, and retired from the Marion County Housing Authority in 1980.  She was a member of the Lents Evangelical Church in Portland for 24 years; in recent years, she attended Grace Baptist Church in Salem. She enjoyed reading, knitting, and crocheting. Ruth is survived by her husband, Harry; sons, James Friesen of Lincoln City and Philip Friesen of Salem; sister, Dorothy Nickerson of Salem; seven grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by son, Kenneth Friesen, in 2006. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 6 at Grace Baptist Church, 4197 State Street, Salem. Private interment will be at Pioneer Cemetery, Salem. Memorial contributions may be made to Youth for Christ, PO Box 2161, Salem, OR 97308. Arrangements are by Howell-Edwards-Doerksen with Rigdon-Ransom Funeral Directors. Statesman Journal 3 October 2007, 5C:4 INSCRIPTION:  SOURCES:  1920 OR CENSUS (Marion Co., Croisan, ED 323, sheet 4B)  SJ 3 October 2007, 5C:4 CONTACTS:  LOT: FA 01 SPACE: 4 SW corner LONGITUDE:  LATITUDE: