NAPA - Ruth Jeanette (Kyllo) Sire died Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, at age 91. She was born April 8, 1918, to Richard and Amanda (Bjornson) Kyllo in Olmstead County, Minnesota. She was a 1936 graduate of Hayfield High School and attended Mankato Commercial College in 1938.

In 1939, she was employed by Dr. & Mrs. Wm. J. Mayo in Rochester, Minn. While in their employ, Ruth spent winters with them in Tucson, Ariz. While there in 1943 she met and married Ernie Sire of San Francisco, who was serving in the Army Air Force. They had been residing in Pecos, Texas for only five weeks when he was shipped out to Italy and there he was to stay for the duration which became 26 1⁄2 months.

After the war ended, Ruth and Ernie lived in San Francisco and eventually moved to San Bruno where they raised their three children. They also lived in Rochester, Minn., for a year.

In 1963, they settled in Napa where Ernie worked in furniture sales and furniture repair. Ruth was active in her church and served on various boards. She was a choir member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, which she thoroughly enjoyed for many years. They loved to dance, especially square dancing and round dancing which they did for over 20 years and made many lasting friendships.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, who died in 1998, her parents and two brothers. Surviving are two sons: Ernest (Juanita) Sire of Red Bluff and Richard (Marleia) Sire of Napa; a daughter, Mary Louise of Napa; a sister, Nordis (Frank) Munnikhuysen of Palm Desert; brothers, Phillip (Gayle) Kyllo of Rochester, Minn., Raymond (Darlene) Kyllo of Hayfield, Minn., and Ralph (Wilma) Kyllo of Hayfield, Minn.; sisters-in-law, Orpha Edgar of Conroe, Texas, Kathryn Edgar of Minnesota, and Lorrie (Sire) Flores of Washington; eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In 2005, she was delighted to be contacted by representatives of the Mayo Clinic who were developing a history of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. They came to her home with their photography and production equipment and videotaped their interview with her where she told her stories of the times in Arizona with the Mayos. She happily recounted her many enjoyable experiences while vacationing with the Mayos in those early days and provided much new information to the Mayo Clinic staff.

Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at

St. John’s Lutheran Church, 3521 Linda Vista Ave., Napa. Private committal will be with her late husband in the Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno.

The family suggests donations to St. John’s Lutheran Church Endowment Fund or to St. John’s Lutheran Church “Wish List.”

Treadway & Wigger Funeral Chapel is serving the family of Mrs. Sire.