Mildred Ruth Lamar Tangren

Name: Visitation
Start: 01/22/2026 04:00 PM
End: 01/22/2026 06:00 PM
Location: Russon Mortuary & Crematory

June 3, 1932 — January 5, 2026

Bountiful, UT

Mildred “Ruth” Lamar Tangren passed from this world to the next on Monday, January 5, 2026, after a long battle with dementia. A loving mother of six, the best grandmother in the world to twenty-two, and great-grandmother to forty-two, Ruth held on to her spicy Southern sass until the very end.

Ruth was born on June 3, 1932, in Ingomar, Mississippi, to Guildy Roy Lamar and Mildred Virginia Robbins. The fourth of five children, she dearly loved her three sisters—Madge, Eloise, and Shirley—and her brother, Howard. From annual family reunions on Madge’s property to Eloise’s two-week visits each year, Ruth never let distance interfere with family bonds.

She grew up in Columbus, Mississippi, before later moving to Utah. A convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she was baptized on December 5, 1941, in the frozen Luxapallila River by Elder Preston Atwood. After attending Mississippi State College for Women, Ruth continued her education at Brigham Young University, where she earned a degree in accounting.

It was at BYU that she met the love of her life, Loras Burke Tangren, who began a lifelong pattern of service by helping her move into her dorm. They were married on July 31, 1953, and shared sixty-one years together before Burke’s passing in 2014. They were proud parents of six children who remember her remarkable ability to read their hearts, her sharp humor, and the way she brought life into every room. She built a foundation of honesty, patriotism, humility, and compassion that shaped generations.

As a military wife, Ruth devoted herself to her country, moving her family every two years as Burke advanced through the ranks of the Air Force, until they eventually settled in Bountiful, Utah. A devoted follower of Christ, Ruth faithfully served alongside her soulmate in three missions: Nauvoo, Illinois; Sharon, Vermont; and Toronto, Canada, with the Church Educational System. She firmly believed in the priesthood and its power to comfort and heal. Ruth always supported her beloved husband, and together, they were the heart and soul of the Tangren family.

Ruth was a mother to many beyond her own children. Her home was always full, welcoming friends, neighbors, and missionaries. Her pantry was always stocked with everyone’s favorite treats, a reflection of her intentional love. The original owner of the legendary “Pop Fridge” and “Treat Drawer,” Ruth never went without Diet Coke, and her freezer always held a bag of the “good ice” from the gas-station.

An avid reader with a sharp, witty mind, Ruth loved music and sang until the very end. As a young woman, she sang gospel music on the radio alongside her siblings. She was an exceptional cook, and any family member who came for dinner was greeted with their favorite pie—even if they were the only one who liked it.

She formed lifelong friendships through her warmth, loyalty, and joy. One of her dearest friends was Betty Graham, whom she met in 1955 while Burke was stationed in Wichita, Kansas. In her final days, Ruth still asked for Betty, and her family finds comfort knowing the two are reunited, laughing together once more.

Her grandchildren will forever remember poking straws into Ginger Ale bottles from the pop fridge, and how flustered she became when they asked her to say the word “school” in her southern accent. They knew they were deeply loved, safe, and truly seen.

Ruth was proudly known as “The Queen,” and she never hesitated to remind everyone. Her family imagines her reunited with Burke—irritated by his constant “I love yous,” and sipping a Diet Coke, sitting together in their recliners watching television, waiting for visitors to arrive when Burke will casually turn off his hearing aids.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Loras Burke Tangren; her son, David Tangren; her son-in-law, Steve Morgan; her parents; and her siblings, Madge, Eloise, Shirley, and Howard.

She is survived by five children: Linda Carol, Cynthia Susan, Donna Lynne, Douglas Wayne, and Amy Ruth; her daughter-in-law, Michelle Tangren; and her sons-in-law, Kevin Waters and Steve Herold; along with countless grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and those who were fortunate enough to be loved by her.