Rita Ruffing

Rita Mae Blue Ruffing, 71, of Castleford, Idaho passed away suddenly at her home on Thursday April 26, 2018.
Rita was born August 4, 1946 in Twin Falls, Idaho to Charlene Hamilton Blue and Oscar Blue; they later divorced. She grew up in Castleford where she attended grade school and later graduated from Castleford High School. In her early years, Rita could be found helping her mom at the café in Castleford, which is where she met Jerry Ruffing.
December 19, 1964 Rita married Jerry in Buhl, Idaho and they made their home near Castleford. Jerry continued farming and working at Guerry’s sheep camp with Rita pitching in wherever needed. The arrival of Tina, Mike, Kristen and Cathy sometimes limited Rita’s availability to help out with much farming in the early years, but as the kids grew, the hired help got a lot cheaper! The entire family spent many years farming and raising primarily sheep, along with a few other animals, on the farm. Rita enjoyed reading, crosswords puzzles, and Boggle and you could find her doing the word scramble in the newspaper every morning. She enjoyed family camping trips each year and she and Jerry went on many hunting trips together as well as with friends and family. As most folks in Castleford will know, her biggest task each December was decorating for Christmas!
Rita was always very active in the Castleford community helping out with the Cystic Fibrosis Bike-a-thon, Johnny Horizon Day, Men’s Club Auction and Boy Scouts to name a few. She led the Castleford Saddle Shephard’s 4-H club for many years and served as a volunteer EMT on the QRU from 1987 to 1991. She spent many years helping out with fundraisers for various school events or community fundraisers and was always pitching in to help sell candy bars; make pies, cakes, and coleslaw; or wash cars. She shuttled kids from ball practice and track meets to 4-H meetings and rodeos.
In 1997, Jerry retired from farming and the couple moved to Castleford. They soon had a yard and garden that was admired by many. Even after Jerry passed, Rita continued to work in the flower gardens, keep the lawn green and raise a vegetable garden. She enjoyed watching the hummingbirds and many other bird species that filled the yard.
Rita held many jobs throughout her lifetime. Over the years, you could find her behind the counter or flipping burgers at the Corner Merc, assisting with print jobs at J&D Printing Enterprises, driving spud truck for Blick Brothers, ringing up a sale at Dwayne’s Market, sorting mail at the post office or delivering it across Lilly Grade, or weighing silage trucks at Rock Ridge Dairy. She was most proud of her time serving on the city council and then as Mayor of Castleford from 2002 until she resigned in 2009. She was instrumental in completing Castleford’s construction and installation of an arsenic treatment facility during her time as mayor and served as a certified water operator and certified back-up operator for the city.
Rita loved Castleford and had many friends and family in the community. But she also had an adventurous side and was always doing new things and making new friends. She enjoyed her trips to Cowboy Camp in Stanley and made several friends from across the U.S. She visited San Diego with her daughters, fished for several years in the Women with Bait fishing tournament in Riggins with the girls and friends, traveled to Colorado and Oregon to visit friends and family, and even visited New York and Washington D.C.
Rita is survived by daughters, Tina Ruffing, Kristen Ruffing and Cathy Aslett; son, Mike (Monica) Ruffing and grandchildren Tucker and Rachael Beglan; sister, Francis (Jack) Kennedy; brother-in-law, Ray ‘Swede’ Ruffing; sisters-in-law, Paule Ball and Martha Ellinger and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jerry, parents Oscar ‘Fats’ Blue and Charlene Blue Hill; her sister and brother-in-law Jeri and Marvin Cox and brother Johnny Regadera.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in Rita’s name to the Castleford QRU.
A funeral service has been scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Buhl. A viewing will be from 5 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at Farmer Funeral Chapel in Buhl.