September 14, 2008

“In all the world around me
I see His loving care and tho’
My heart grows weary,
I never will despair..”

Dear Ones,

She was not “ordinary” in any sense of the word. She was not an ordinary minister’s wife, for she sought to be a person who helped others, by being an example to others. She was the wind beneath the wings, to her more extroverted husband, walking at times in his shadow, but more often than not by his side. Along the pilgrimage, she carved our her own niche which touched the lives of so many.both family and friends.

She died peacefully late this morning...at the hour when so often we were in Church. When Philip called me, through tears of love and gratitude, I remembered the twinkle in her eyes, on Thursday when she said to me "see you along the road...."

Born in Bradford, New Hampshire, growing up in Newport, she Graduated from Towle High School. She went to Simmons College, in Boston, Ma. And in later years she did some Graduate study at Columbia’s Teacher College in NY She worked at Nyack High School in the olden days of computers, and made out the class schedules, through a laborious phalyns
of IBM CARDS and huge computers/ She later worked at Katharine Gibbs Secretarial schools, headquartered in New York City.

It was over 68 years ago that she met Arthayer her lifelong soulmate. They had been involved in a toboggan accident and what a ride it has been. She felt she walked in his shadow, but in truth they walked side by side. When he was near death last Fall, he said “you will have to look after your mother now.” At which point she said for all to hear “I can take care of myself thank you very much.”

While she touched each of us in varied ways, she was a woman of faith, who along with Dad lived her spirituality and didn’t just talk about it. People of all ages found a friend in Ruth. She was a writer, a teacher, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother but she wasn’t ordinary! When David died unexpectedly, she put into words her emotions and her faith. Most of you don’t realize that she edited what Dad wrote. She was a musician, who with her voice or at the Organ resonated of her faith.

She enabled through her loving and compassionate care people to be all that God created them to be. She opened MISS KITTY’S in Indiatlantic, Fl which was a craft store, but was so much more – she used this opportunity to listen, and enable others to know that she was their friend.

She gave to her grandchildren a new vision of the world, taking each on a trip with her…she gave to them in particular, but to all of us her listening ears and heart. Her family found in her not only a confidante, but a friend.
Years ago she would bake chocolate chip cookies while her children waited breathlessly. In later years she encouraged all uf us to put our cares and worries in the cookie jar and let God use them.

Bradford to Celebration and all the dusty miles between that she and Father traveled have shown us all that we didn’t have to accept mediocrity, or being ordinary – but she was always reflecting the face of Jesus to all with whom she came in contact. Unlike Father she had no desire to live forever, and as good-byes and gratitude were shared, she said with her smile,
“I’ll see you along the road…..” Indeed we shall as she and dad walk together towards the Sunset…


“You ask me how I know He lives
He lives within my heart,,:
Alfred Ackley