My father's mother was Ruth PACKARD, b. Vallejo, CA Oct 1893.

Ruth married Manuel and lived in San Francisco, CA.
They had six living children when Ruth was institutionalized at Stockton State Hospital for the Insane in 1927 and Manuel deserted his children.
Ruth was an inmate from 8 Jan 1927 to 16 Aug 1953, with a short hiatus about 1930.
The children were scattered into foster care, one son later being adopted.
My father was the eldest at 10 years of age when the disaster befell the family.
He did not have much luck with foster care and ran away from all the homes to which he was assigned.

When Ruth was released her family was grown and scattered. She remarried (a Mr. THOMAS I think) and died in 1969, a diabetic double (leg) amputee. A tragic life. I have been unable to access her medical records to determine why she was committed or committed herself. I have found some evidence of mental illness in Ruth's eldest brother Edward PACKARD (Jr), who was arrested for assaulting a sailor with a knife in 1905.

Needless to say all family history was lost to all Ruth's descendents.
I have had a difficult time reconstructing the family tree and history.
I am here asking for some help, especially from those experts in Packard family genealogy.

Ruth's father was Edward Henry PACKARD. He was born Jan 1834 in Maine, USA.
Death 16 Mar 1914 in Vallejo, Solano, California, USA.
Ruth's mother was Minnie GARVEY (GOVIE, GAVIE, GAVEY) b. 1857 in New York. Probably Brooklyn. d. 1902, Vallejo, Solano, California, USA.
Edward and Ruth married in 1878.
I have not yet found a record of their marriage location.
They had the following children, all born in CA (probably Vallejo):

Edward PACKARD (Jr) 1879 ?
Stella PACKARD 1880 ?
Minnie G PACKARD 1881 ? 1949
Augustus Henry PACKARD 1884 ?
Edith A. PACKARD 1884 ? abt 1930
Hilda M PACKARD 1886 ? 1886
Irene Violet PACKARD 1888 ? 1949
Herbert Henry PACKARD 1889 ? 1959
Ruth PACKARD 1893 ? 1969

The 1900 US Census places the whole family together, except Minnie and Hilda, in Vallejo.

In my search I have managed to contact a few distant cousins, descendents of Ruth's siblings. None have been able to furnish information about the history of the family so far.

My main concern is to connect Edward Henry PACKARD to the correct parents and siblings in Maine, if I can. I would very much appreciate any help others can give.