Ruth Docia Bland

Ruth Docia Bland was born March 29, 1918 and passed away peacefully at home November 1, 2019.

Born Ruth Patchett in a house in rural San Luis Obispo, California. Ruth was the youngest of nine children, six boys and three girls. For recreation, the girls enjoyed playing house and outdoor games with their brothers. Ruth's family often got together with relatives for picnics and special occasions. During the summer Ruth's family liked to camp, hike, or visit relatives in California's Sonoma County.

Ruth had pleasant memories of attending a country school as a child. Ruth walked to Oak Park country school, rain or shine, for eight years until ultimately graduating in a class of four. She attended high school in Arroyo Grande the next four years. After attending school in Arroyo Grande, Ruth attended Santa Barbara State College and graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Ruth later attended San Luis Junior College, now known as Cuesta College, to take a business course. Ruth also attended Southern California Bible College for one year. It is now known as Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California.

During World War II, Ruth worked as a stenographer and a secretary for the U.S. army at Camp San Luis, and later at Cal Poly and a title company.

Ruth met her husband, Jim, at a church while he was attending Cal Poly under the GI Bill. They married September 15th, 1951. They spent their honeymoon in Sequoia National Park. They Lived in Oxnard for a few months in low rent housing. They cooked on an oil stove and used oil for heating. Later they moved to San Luis Obispo and lived in a mobile home. Soon they made another move to a small house on Jeffrey Drive.

It was at the house on Jeffrey Drive where their son, Jimmy, was born in 1954. In 1959, Ruth and Jim made arrangements to adopt Joy from Holt Adoption Agency. And finally, after two trips to Portland Oregon, they brought Joy Home. Now with two children, it was time to move to a larger house on Kentwood Drive. Ruth and Jim stayed in the Kentwood Drive house for fifteen year, until the moved back to rural San Luis Obispo near the the house where Ruth was born.

Ruth and Jim liked to travel. While Jimmy was a toddler, Ruth and Jim drove to the east coast where they visited relatives and Niagra Falls. After that first trip back east, Ruth and Jim visited many of the US National Parks, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Ruth is survived by a daughter, Joy and a son-in-law Bruce. She has a grandson Ryan and a great-grandson, Justin and a great-granddaughter, Nyla. Ruth's husband of 61 years, James Strute Bland, died on September 25, 2012.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to Canyon Hills in San Luis Obispo.

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