Ruth Arlene McKinnon passed away on Sunday, February 15 at the Eckstein Center in Scottsdale, Ariz, at the age of 82.Ruth was born on August 20, 1926 Ruth Arlene Petersen in Kimball, to parents Ed W. and Elizabeth M. (Rutledge) Petersen.She had five brothers and sisters, Willard, Elizabeth, Thomas, Marjorie and Edward Jr..Ruth was married to Hugh H. McKinnon in January 1946 in Hayward, California.  Later that year they moved to a farm in Banner County. They had four sons, Gary, Tom, Mark, and Kevin. They spent the winters in the 1960s in Phoenix.In the early 1970s they sold the farm and moved to Ft. Collins, Colo. Ruth and Hugh divorced (he passed away in 1992) and she began a career as a telephone operator for Mountain Bell Telephone. She transfered to Scottsdale, Ariz. in the early 1980s with the company.Ruth made many transitions and had several jobs besides the most important one to her, that of being a mom. She taught elementary school before she was married, and after the telephone company worked for American Continental, Kroy, and did temp work in Scottsdale. She even worked at the local school as a playground monitor.Ruth was an expert seamstress and designed and made manybeautiful things. She loved to go dancing. She is survived by her brother Ed Petersen of Kimball County  and Mesa, Arizona, sons, Gary of Scottsdale, Tom of Chugiak, Alaska, Mark of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and Kevin of Eagle River, Alaska. Her daughter-in-laws are Lynette, Joy, and Cali respectively.She had four grandchildren, Kirstin Gerry of Laguna Niguel, California, Tara of Glendale, Ariz., Kyler and Coby of EagleRiver Alaska. Also two great-grandchildren, Reagan and Kendall Gerry of Laguna Niguel. Donations in her memory may be made to Hospice of the Valley, http://www.hov.org/donate.aspx. The date for a memorial service is to be set.