Archives West Finding Aid

Ruth Herberg was born January 13, 1899 in Seattle to Norwegian immigrant parents Lars and Anna Herberg, who had met in Seattle and married December 3, 1888. Ruth's father had immigrated at age 20. Her mother, Anna Fritzvold, immigrated in 1884 and came to Seattle via Tacoma in 1887 or 1888 over the Northern Pacific's "Switchback" before the Cascade Tunnel was built. Her parents were early pioneers from Gubrandsdal to the Redmond area. Around 1894, Ruth's family moved from Seattle to Happy Valley, Washington. Ruth had one brother, Signor, who was eight years older.

In 1904, the family moved back to Seattle. Ruth and her mother took a trip to Norway to visit relatives in 1910-1911. Ruth and her brother Signor (March 1891-October 1970) were both baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Lars Herberg passed away in February 1915.

Anna and her two teenage children relocated to the Phinney Ridge neighborhood, residing at 6053 Palatine. They joined Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in 1921. But 1940 Signor had married and was living in Arizona. Anna and Ruth lived together until Anna's passing in 1944. Ruth worked as a stenographer and secretary in the Geology Department at UW, residing in Seattle for the rest of her life. She was also a voracious reader and writer, publishing over 100 articles in various publications from 1926-1960. In 1966 Ruth moved to The Hearthstone retirement community and resided there until her death in 1993 at age 94. She was a PRLC member for 72 years. She never married and had no descendants, nor did her brother, who had passed in 1970.