Ruth Ann Lee

Ruth Ann Lee was called home on May 30th, 2026, in the quiet of her home in Woodruff Utah. Ruth was born June 22nd, 1962, to Halley and Vernetta Bindl. She grew up in Robertson, WY, and was the second oldest of 6 siblings (4 sisters and 1 brother). Her early loves in life were horses and being outdoors. They lived in poor circumstances, but you wouldn’t know it from asking her about her childhood. She always said her years growing up were like a Norman Rockwell painting come to life. Her father’s love of the outdoors was fully realized in Ruth. She was always up for a fishing trip and could set up an elk camp in minutes.

After graduating high school in Mt. View in 1980, she met Jim Rees while he was working in the oil fields. They were married in 1980, moved to Utah, and welcomed a son (Dustin) in 1981, her second son, (Daniel), was born shortly after in 1982. During this time Ruths’ favorite past time was working the sheep with, Jim’s Grandpa, Jake. She could always be found at Jakes’. Doing whatever odd tasks needed to be done.

Following her divorce from Jim, she married Dennis Vernon of Hoytsville, Utah in 1987. She and Dennis raised goats, rabbits, game birds, pigs, etc. This was a golden time for her. She loved animals as much as she loved to fish. In 1989, they welcomed a son (Clinton). During her years with Dennis, she continued to work almost unceasingly. Whether cleaning hotels in Park City or docking sheep in the spring. She was always moving and working. After several years, she and Dennis ended their marriage.

In 1999 Ruth moved to Salt Lake to work on the I-15 reconstruction project. It was while working at the batch plant that she met David. They were inseparable from the day they met. Both having previous marriages they both have said they finally “found the one they wanted to grow old with”. They were married on June 22nd, 2000, in Fort Bridger, WY. They spent the first several years of their marriage traveling following various construction projects. Ruth and David then decided to settle down in Manila, Utah in 2005 to be close to her parents and to spend more time with her boys. Her time in Manila was spent working for the Daggett County jail as a controller. Having spent many years traveling she was desperate to make up time with her family. Horse riding with her sisters, fishing with her sons, hiking with her dad, and visiting with her mom. It was a very wonderful reunifying time in her life. During this time, she welcomed several grandchildren. It was also during this time that she earned the title she held closest to her heart “Turkey Grandma” due to the turkeys she always kept.

With her sons living between Woodruff, Henefer, and Hoytsville the 2-hour drives and occasional weekend visits were not enough for her and David. She and David moved to Woodruff, UT in 2023 to be closer to her boys and her ever growing number of grandkids. After moving to Woodruff, she took a job working at the local store. This was the perfect job for her. Ruth was a natural conversationalist. It didn’t matter who you were, she could have you chatting from the moment you met her. She was a true listener and took genuine interest in what you were saying. Several people she met at the store are people she would consider some of her greatest friends.

David, her sons, their wives, and her grandkids were the sole focus of her life. Her face would never fail to light up when talking about them. They were no less proud of her. She was always willing to taxi them around to whatever they needed. The grandkids trips with her or David to Evanston (or anywhere else there was a store) always included a “Grandkid Special” (which was code for “get whatever you want”). Being much closer to her boys and grandkids allowed them to spend much more time together since their move to Woodruff. This was probably the greatest blessing in all their lives. Ruth was always a lover first, and fighter second, and heaven help you if you got her to fighting stage. She lived her life not without regrets but without excuses. This is something that she was instilling in her children and grandchildren until the end.

She is survived by her husband David, her mother Neta Bindl, her 4 sister's Carol (Jim) Bond, Mary (Alan) Skinner, Patty (Gerald) Maxfield , Becky Bindl, a brother Halley (Shavonne) Bindl, her son's Dustin (Shyanne) Rees, Daniel (Katrina) Rees, Clinton Vernon, seven grandchildren, Bryce, Jordynn, Christian, Isaac, Aaron, Jorie, and Thomas. She also had nine shared grandchildren with David. She was preceded in death by her father Halley, and her nephew Seth.

A viewing will be held on Friday, June 5th, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 180 S Main Street, Woodruff, Utah, 84086. There will be additional viewing time the following morning, June 6th, 2026 from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM. There will be time in the service for anyone who would like to make remarks. There will be no graveside service as she requested cremation.