Dec 13, 1949 – Feb 18, 2021
Esther (Ruiz) Theis, 71, of Turlock, passed away Thursday, February 18, 2021 after a 14-year battle with breast/liver cancer. Esther was born in Newman, CA to Frank and
Rebecca Ruiz, the youngest of four siblings. Esther grew up on the family dairy in Stevinson, CA and attended schools in Hilmar graduating from Hilmar High School in 1968. She went on to barber college and became a barber working in Ray Kinzie’s Barber
Shop on Lander Ave in Turlock.
In 1969 she married Jim Theis. Together, they relocated to St. Cloud, MN in 1972 and then continued to move around the country with Jim’s employer, Armour Food Company/ConAgra for the next 11 years, living in Lampasas, TX, Phoenix, AZ, and again in St. Cloud. Esther and Jim’s first son, Marcus, was born in 1977 in Phoenix, AZ. In 1984,
they had the opportunity to move back to Turlock – an easy choice to return to family over snow and subzero temperatures! A few years later, in 1987, they welcomed their second
son, Matthew, in Turlock and they were home to stay. Read more