Biography

Phyllis Ruth Shambaugh Watkins, artist and editor, was born in 1922 in Clarinda, Iowa, to Ira and Jessie Field Shambaugh. Her mother helped to establish the 4-H organization. While attending the University of Iowa, Ruth Shambaugh edited Frivol, a student-run humor publication. After graduating in 1943 with a BA in journalism, Shambaugh moved back to Clarinda and taught at the Windy Summit country school near Essex, Iowa. Ruth Shambaugh spent much of her time drawing and painting. She worked as an interior designer in addition to creating the cartoon strip Be Sure to Bring the Children, which was published in the Ladies Home Journal. In 1943, Shambaugh was a guest editor for Mademoiselle. In 194- (?) Ruth Shambaugh married Bob Watkins, an advertising illustrator. After World War II, the couple lived in Los Angeles, Connecticut, and San Mateo, California. In 1970, the Watkins moved back to Clarinda, Iowa, where they raised their seven (?) children.

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