UKURA - 60th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Ruth Renecker and Ray Ukura, high school sweethearts, eloped and married on March 18, 1953. Both were born and raised on the Cuyuna Range in Crosby, MN. Ray worked a variety of jobs (i.e. delivering milk and washing beer glasses at Rainier brewery) to put himself thru college. He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated from the University of Washington. Ruth worked numerous jobs (International Harvester) helping to put Ray thru school while taking care of a family. His first teaching job was in Chehalis, WA teaching high school biology (The school district thought they were being progressive in the early 60’s by hiring Japanese. Imagine their surprise when they found out he was a feisty Finn!)
Thru the years Ray continued to teach school in the Seattle metro area and Ruth worked in finance at Boeing. They have two daughters Rebecca and Roberta Ukura. Rebecca and her husband, Joseph Hathaway both just retired from Boeing and they live in Pocatello, ID. Roberta works for the City of Yuma as does her husband, Chuck Nordquist. The Ukura daughters have many fond childhood memories of holiday celebrations and trips to Washington’s Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and the Oregon coast and, of course, trips to Minnesota to see the grandparents. Ray and Ruth instilled an appreciation for the great outdoors with these trips. Ray, in particular, is quite adept at seeing wildlife at a distance while driving!
Ruth and Ray retired in 1990, moving to Florence on the Oregon coast. After five years, they decided to full time it in their motor home traveling around the scenic USA. Ruth and Ray now live in Yuma, AZ. Ray enjoys substitute teaching, gardening and garage sales. Ruth enjoys her cats and reading. While they do not have grandchildren, they have many grand cats and grand dogs to spoil.
Happy 60th Anniversary! Love, Bec and Bob.
