Ruth Thompson

Ruth Thompson, 93, passed away on April 15, 2026. She was born in Harper, KS on July 24, 1932. Funeral services and a Celebration of Life will be Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 10:00 am at Downing & Lahey West Mortuary.

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, Vern and Ruth Coffey (Harvey), her husband, James (Jake) Thompson, first husband, Wilbert (Bill) Tatman, her daughter and son-in-law, Shirley and Alex Graham, all of Wichita, KS and her sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Wesley Lauterbach of Lincoln, NE.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Susan Larson (Thompson); her granddaughters, Kara (Chad) Landwehr of Valley Center, KS and Jennifer (Jonathon) Shockley of Lincoln, NE; great-grandchildren Sarah (Dylan) Johnson of Lincoln, NE, Austin Shockley of Lincoln, NE, Jakob Landwehr and Gracie Landwehr of Valley Center, KS and Nathan Shockley of Lincoln, NE; great great-grandsons Rhys and Rowan Johnson of Lincoln, NE.

Ruth was born in Harper, KS in a farmhouse built by her dad. The family moved to Arkansas and later to Wichita. In 1950, Ruth graduated from Wichita North High. She was a very proud REDSKIN and maintained those school friendships for decades. That same year, she married Bill Tatman. Together they had 2 daughters, Susan and Shirley. After parting ways with Bill, Ruth went to work at the base hospital on McConnell AFB. There she met her soulmate and love of her life, Jake Thompson. They were married in 1959 in Wichita, KS. The Air Force would take them and the girls to Idaho in 1962 and then to Hill AFB in Utah in 1964. In 1966, while Jake was in Vietnam, Ruth and the girls moved back to Wichita where she once again worked at the VA alongside her mother. After Jake was back from the war, they went back to Utah for a short time. In 1969, the Air Force would send Jake, Ruth and Shirley to the Philippines. In 1970, Susan would join the family at Travis AFB in California. When Jake retired from the Air Force in 1971, the family made their final move back to Wichita. The life of a military wife was not always an easy one, but it made for lots of stories and numerous lifelong friendships. Ruth would tell you that living in the Philippines back then was not for sissies. However, all the friends they made everywhere else was worth the 1 year stay overseas. Those friendships would last the rest of their lives.

As an officer’s wife, Ruth would spend time playing bridge. She became a master bridge player and was often requested by the Colonel to give lessons in playing. She would continue playing cards in bridge group and pitch or hand-and-foot every Saturday night. Ruth volunteered at church and delivered meals on wheels for 40 years. She also loved to read, crochet, cross stitch and cheering on her grandkids while playing sports. Ruth was known for her love of animals, especially cats. She worked closely with several Cat Rescue groups. She found much joy in taking in stray cats and rehoming them after a very thorough interview process. She also “adopted” many cats and dogs on her meals on wheels route. She passed her love of animals to her daughters and grandchildren.

Ruth was above all else, a caregiver. She cared for her parents until their passing. She was a mother of two daughters and a grandmother of two granddaughters. She has 5 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-great grandsons. At the young age of 69, Ruth and Jake began babysitting for their great grandson Jakob at 4 weeks old. The following year they would also babysit their great granddaughter, Gracie. For the next 17 years, first babysitting and then just hanging out, Ruth and Jake would spend their days and summers with the kids. She always said how much she loved keeping the kids and that she hoped they would always remember the time they spent with grandma and grandpa. She made their time together unforgettable with weekly trips to the zoo, Exploration Place, the movies and the park. Ruth and Jake would also take the other grandkids, the neighbor kids and the kid’s friends on their outings. Being a grandma was Ruth’s greatest joy.

We will forever miss Sunday night dinner at grandma and grandpa’s house. Ruth’s fried chicken was legendary, her text messages hilarious, and her daily phone calls will be forever missed. Knowing that Ruth is Heaven with Jesus and grandpa Jake gives her family peace.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Joy Animal Rescue. P.O. Box 345, Maize, KS, 67101.