Ruth LaVerne (Beichley) Pridey, 93, Salina, passed away in her home on October 20, 2019. Ruth was born at the Minneapolis Hospital on June 2, 1926 to Foster and Edna Beichley. She was raised in the Ada, KS community, living at "the Grace Place" until she was 7 when they moved to the property her grandmother had homesteaded south of Ada. Ruth's loyalty to the Ada community, the Methodist Church and "Uncle Steve's store" lived in the stories she told. Ruth often shared about giving her heart to Jesus at the age of seven at the Postlewaite Camp, a decision that directed her life for the following 86 years. As a young adult she worked in the Minneapolis area. Ruth was working at the Ottawa County Courthouse when she went to lunch one day with a friend, Lorraine Pridey, and met her friend's brother, Duane, as he got off the bus, coming home from WWII. He bought her cherry pie alamode that day and until he passed away on August 10, 2005, he had cherry pie every year on October 5 ^th . She married Duane Pridey on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1948, and became a farmer's wife. After a house fire on December 19, 1960, they moved to Miltonvale, KS, where he went to college to become a minister. Together they pastored churches in Kansas and Iowa. She was supportive and contributed greatly to his ministry, playing the piano, singing, teaching Sunday School, whatever part she needed to play. Ruth had a card ministry which reached hundreds who needed a note of inspiration. Her memory was amazing and people from miles around would ask her questions about things that might have happened in her life, or their life, and they got to hear the stories. She loved and was loved by family and friends.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, parents, her beloved sister,  five of Duane's siblings and six of his in-laws, two nephews, one granddaughter and one great-grandchild.

Ruth was a great mother to her children: Larry (Birdena) Pridey, Barbara (Jim) Miller, Loree Harvester (Mark Epperly) and Lamoine (Karen) Pridey. She was a wonderful grandmother to Derek (Cheryl) Pridey, Kendra (Rustin) Horner, Rebbecca (Jimmie) Covert, James Miller, Joel (Tricia) Harvester, Bethany (Jon) Engel, Liesel (Brent) Wittmer, Elizabeth (Dave) Hingst, Brittany (Andrew) Schumann and Mary Kate Pridey. She was proud to say she had 51 members in her family which also included 19 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. She was cherished by her niece Joann (Dan) Briggs and nephew Ray (Benita) Stanley and their families. Her husband's family became her own and surviving are her sister-in-law, Mary Pridey, brother-in-law, Frank Pridey, and sister-in-law, Patricia (Dave) Cleland and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Friday at Wilson Family Funeral Home, Minneapolis and then from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at First Southern Baptist Church, 2401 S. Ohio, Salina, KS. Funeral services will be at 2:00 P.M., Saturday at the church.  Ruth will be joining seven generations of her family, in the Fairview Cemetery, Ada, KS, following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mary Hendershott, who is with Wycliffe, or the Salina Rescue Mission.