Ruth was a good friend and a great lady. We worked together for 13 years while I was Senior Pastor at Sycamore UM Church. She served on several committees at church was a part of our UMCOR Mission Team to Baldwin ,LA,, She was always ready to help me with Worship and Communion over at Oak Crest. We got to be good friends and it was always a pleasure to visit with her. she and I would laugh together at some of the funny things people did.
Ruth was always a good friend to my wife, Jo, and on many occasions was a good listening ear for Jo and gave some great "pastor's wife" advice.
One of my favorite memories was of Ruth at a Mother-Daughter Banquet at Sycamore Church put on by the United Methodist Women. The banquet committee decided to do a style show and arranged with a number of girls/women's clothing stores in the area to provide the clothing. The UMW recruited a host of babies, girls, teens, mothers, single women, and older women to be models. All of them went to the various stores and were fitted out with the latest styles in clothing. On the night of the Banquet after finishing dinner, the crowd moved into the large sanctuary for the show. It was a semi-pro production with streaming lights, projected images, spot lights, powerful music and well-scripted commentary as each of the models or groups of models entered and "strutted their stuff"'. The crowd of mothers and daughters was loud and boisterous showing their appreciation. Then all the light were turned out and the music was turned off. An electrified silence fell over the crowd. In a commanding voice the Emcee said, "Mothers, Daughters, Ladies, I direct your attention to the rear center doors." as a powerful spot light came on and focused on the doors. The Emcee continued, "The women of the Sycamore United Church would like to present the Queen of our models, Mrs. Ruth Brown!" The doors were flung open and there stood Ruth dressed to the nines with a confident smile just like the one in the attached photo. The crowd stood and cheered as Ruth started slowly down the aisle in step with the beat of a celebratory song. The Emcee told of Ruth's family, her many accomplishment and the great example and mentor she had been and still was to the girls and women of the church. As Ruth reached the front she gracefully turned and smiled broadly as the girls and women showed their appreciation.
As I recall that was in 2009 or 2010 when Ruth was 87 or 88.
That is one of my favorite moments in my 43 years of pastoral ministry.
Rev. Clarence W. (Bill) Landis (retired)
Woodstock IL
