Ed & Ruth Cheneweth

They met in Southern College; Ruth an immigrant working on an Education degree and my Dad working to get grades for a run at Med School. Well the grade didn’t materialize and neither did med school. Ed left for work in the family business and a tour in the US Army. But an introduction card left behind and a good friendship was the seed. Ruth finished Southern with a Double Major in Education, Biology and a minor in German. She got her Masters in Education as well. Her first job was to see her come west to Lynwood Academy, where the introduction card was used to let Ed know that she made it to the West Coast.

Ed was back in National City working in the family business after mustering out of the US Army right at the beginning of the Korean war. Ruth and Ed started seeing each other. They would meet many times in a Denny’s-like place next to San Juan Capistrano Mission. They were married June 27, 1965.

A nursing home builder came up to Friendship Homes a block away and asked if the family would like to run the future nursing home. Mattie Cheneweth asked the newly married Ed and Ruth to leave the family business to open and run the new building after they negotiated 10% ownership. They did this, personally putting it all on the line. Friendship Manor National City was open for business August 1st 1968. Over the next 2 decades the couple slowly became 100% owners of the land and business. Other opportunities came in two ways. Lakeside was bought in 1982, which had commonly known as the worst nursing home in the county. And Castle was built and opened in 1983 after an inheritance of land was realized. Other supporting businesses that helped to create value were a laundry, foodservice, and home health care. The two nursing homes were sold and Lakeside leased to Generations Healthcare for a record amount in 1998, after 30 years of loving and respectful service in National City.

James Edwin Cheneweth III born in 10/12/1968. Mark Darrick Cheneweth born 11/5/1969. And Taff Collins Cheneweth born 9/13/1972.

Friendship Missions International was started in 1982 to help better fund philanthropic desires in Honduras with Ruth’s father, Pastor Lutz. Friendship Missions built 9 churches that are still in operation today. Over the years it has built churches in Honduras and Mexico, built schools or parts of schools in Honduras, Mexico, and India, helped establish Stereo Fe, a religious radio station in Honduras, as well as made yearly trips to San Quintin, Baja to benefit the local Oaxacan Adventist Church with friends Kenny and Eunice McBride.

Ed and Ruth moved to the Verde Valley temporarily in 1982 to give Mark and Taff a more meaningful education in a multi age/grade school. Ruth became involved with the Cottonwood SDA Church Foodbank.

In 1999 Friendship Missions bought 654 N Main Street in Cottonwood. It became known as the “Foodbank” the Cottonwood Adventist’s Church kicked the operation out of the church and the blessings that went with it. Ruth Cheneweth managed and ran the foodbank for over 20 years. Giving a place for some of the “best volunteers and people” that Ruth ever worked with. Arizona Food and Family came to play a role regionally among locally run smaller foodbanks and churches.

Ed passed away of Congestive Heart failure December 13th 2006. Ruth eventually moved her permanent residence to Cornville, AZ. I said it was for the lower tax rate but she would simply say “I’m surrounded by my things”.

Ruth was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer Thanksgiving 2017. Through treatments she lived a relatively pain free life for the next 3 years. She died in her home in Coronado, CA surrounded by family. She is survived by her three children and five grandchildren: son James III, Kaiyan & Jimmy; son Mark, Andrea, Zachary & Hannah; son Taff, Shelly Blake & Lilly.