Ruth Harriett Randall (Nelson)

February 28, 1918 — April 13, 2016

Ruth Harriet Nelson Randall, 98, of North Bennington, Vermont, died on Wednesday, April 13 at The Centers for Living and Rehabilitation. The cause of death was complications due to a stroke.

Ruth was born in Orange, New Jersey, on February 28, 1918, the second of four children of Edward Nelson and Aula Alexander Nelson. Their family home, in West Orange, was right outside the gates of Llewellyn Park, home of Thomas Edison. One of Ruth's cherished childhood memories was of seeing Edison driving his 1912 Edison electric car on the streets of West Orange. All of the Nelson children were very creative, and after graduating from high school, Ruth attended the National Academy of Fine Arts in New York City, where she met her future husband, Dale S. Randall.

Dale and Ruth were married in 1943 in Palm Springs, California, where Dale was stationed with the Army before being shipped out to serve in the Pacific during World War II. Ruth moved back to New Jersey and lived with her parents in West Orange until Dale returned from the service in 1946. It was while they were living there that their first son, David, was born, in 1946. Two more sons and a daughter followed, Robert in 1947, Gary in 1951, and Carol in 1954.

Dale and Ruth bought their home on Union Hill in Denville, New Jersey, in 1951, and they raised their four children there. Dale went to work as an artist and illustrator for King Features Syndicate in New York City, and Ruth pursued her passions of landscape and portrait painting, and teaching painting classes at the Morris County Art Association, all while taking care of the children and running the household. She was also an avid flower gardener, accomplished seamstress, and loved knitting and crocheting.

In 1971, her world was upended when Dale died of cancer at the age of 52. After the children grew up and left home, she sold the house on Union Hill and moved back to her parents' house to take care of her aging mother.

In 1986, after her mother died, she moved to Morgan Street in Bennington, Vermont, to be closer to her children, who were all living in Vermont or Upstate New York. She loved that little house, and often painted watercolors of the view from her picture window. In 1999, she moved to North Bennington, to her son Robert's house on Grandview Street, where she continued to paint and garden into her 90s. In 2009, she moved to Homestead Mews in North Bennington.

Ruth enjoyed life in North Bennington, and could often be seen walking around town, with her walker and a sketchbook, and stopping in at the McCullough Library or at Kevin's for lunch.

Ruth is survived by her children David Randall and his wife, Sandy, of Hilton Head, South Carolina; Robert Randall and his partner, Nancy Bianco, of North Bennington; Gary Randall and his wife, Linda, of Chatham, New York, and Carol Randall of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is also survived by her grandchildren Caleb Randall, Jared Randall, Michael Randall, Rebecca Randall Stahl, Magen (Maggie) Randall, Noah Washburn, Robert Washburn, Bob Stimers and Angel Liebro; and her sister and brother-in-law, Aula and John (Jack) Evans, of Sunderland, Vermont. Ruth also leaves eight great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents; her beloved older brother, Ned Nelson, who was killed in action during World War II when his plane was shot down over Germany, and her younger brother, Richard Nelson and his wife, Helen.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on April 30 at E.P. Mahar and Son Funeral Home in Bennington, Vermont. Friends may call at the funeral home from 1:00 p.m. on.

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First Visitation

Saturday, April 30, 2016

1:00 - 2:00 pm (Eastern time)

E. P. Mahar and Son Funeral Home

628 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201

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