Florence Josephine (Ruether) Cunningham, 96, passed away on March 12, 2025, just a few weeks before her 97th birthday. She was born on March 31, 1928, in St. Urban (Winlock), Washington, to Charles and Agatha (Larman) Ruether.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Charles “Tom” Cunningham; and her brother, Arthur Ruether.
Florence attended St. Mary’s Academy through junior high and graduated from Winlock High School in 1946. She went on to study at Griffin Murphy Business College in Seattle to become a bookkeeper. She worked for several years as a bookkeeper at Floe’s Machine Shop in Chehalis and later spent 20 years selling Avon.
She married Charles Thomas Cunningham on June 21, 1958, and they celebrated their 50th anniversary together. Florence was a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Winlock for 45 years. She loved to read, cook, volunteer and travel. She went on several cruises, first with her husband and later with her daughter Sharon. She also enjoyed attending her high school class reunions and visiting with her classmates. Florence loved warm weather and often talked about moving to California.
She is survived by her daughters, Sharon, of Centralia and Lori of Westport; son, Tom of Kent; grandsons, Jon, Chris and Austin; and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral: A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 28, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Chehalis, with a small reception to follow. A graveside service will take place at 1:30 p.m. at St. Urban Cemetery in Winlock (corner of Sargent and North Military roads).
Memorial donations in her name may be made to the St. Urban Settlement Foundation, P.O. Box 311, Winlock, WA 98596.
A viewing will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at Cattermole Funeral Home in Winlock.
