Ruth (Gerhart) Moon

Obituary

Class of 1909

1891 – 1953

Born in 1891 in Colorado to Peter and Hannah Gerhart.

1910- Teacher in Weiser. 

1919- married Clark Moon in Lewiston. 

Mrs. Ruth Moon Services Set for 11 a.m. Tuesday

Six Democratic state officials, who, with State Treasurer Ruth G. Moon, swept all but one top office in last November’s state election, will form an escort at Mrs. Moon’s services here Tuesday.

Mrs. Moon, 62, died early Saturday morning of a heart attack. Death came in a McCall hospital where she was taken after becoming ill Friday evening. She was serving her third term as state treasurer.

Members of the family completed service arrangements Sunday.

Officials said the body will lie in state in the rotunda of the Idaho State Capitol building from 9 until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. State officials will be present.

The service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Congregational church in Boise, with the Rev. John Hiff, pastor of the church, officiating. Interment will be at Cloverdale.

Active pallbearers will include James H. Hawley, Jr., Boise attorney; State Democratic Chairman John Walters; Calvin Underhill, Boise banker; Jay Masters of Boise; Robert McLaughlin, Mountain Home, prosecuting attorney for Elmore county; and Louis Bideganeta, clerk of the State Supreme Court.

Acting as honorary pallbearers will be the six state officials who carried all offices except the governorship last year.

They are Lt. Gov. W. E. Drevlow; Arnold Williams, secretary of state; Joe R. Williams, state auditor; Frank L. Benson, attorney general; D. E. Engelking, state superintendent of public instruction, and George Fletcher, state mine inspector.

Mrs. Moon was stricken after addressing the women’s auxiliary of the Idaho Municipal League.

In that address, she told how she got her start in politics while teaching school at St. Maries. She was named county superintendent.

She married a public accountant, Clark B. Moon of Coeur d’Alene, and took over his business after he died in 1935. She was first elected state treasurer in 1944 to a two-year term, defeated for re-election in 1946 but was elected to four-year terms in 1954 and 1958.

Mrs. Moon is survived by two daughters, Dore Moon, a dancing school operator, and Marjorie Moon, Garden City weekly newspaper publisher, both of Boise.

Gov. Robert E. Smylie Saturday chose 41-year-old Rulon Swenson as state treasurer. Swensen, a Republican, had previously served 1½ years as state auditor after the death of N. P. Nielson early in 1957.

Swenson, a native of St. Anthony, was defeated for re-election as auditor last fall.

From Idaho Daily Statesman, Monday, June 22, 1959 Page 6