- Date Of Birth: September 3, 1923
- Date Of Death: December 31, 2016
- State: Alabama
Ruthie Mae Patrick Sexton passed away in her home on Saturday, December 31, 2016 at the age of 93. Grannie Sexton will be missed by family, friends and close neighbors on Coleman Dairy Road East.
Ruth was born on September 3, 1923 in Washington County, Alabama to Mary Francis and James Henry Patrick. Due to a mix up on her birth information, she celebrated August 29th as her birthday until legally changed when she was 62. She was the last surviving of eight children: Arthur, Chandler, Emma, Lela Mae, Marilee, Boss and Duggar. Ruth grew up in Citronelle and Washington County and attended school in several communities. Although she did not attend school past the eighth grade, she was a strong believer in education and received her GED when she was 57.
During her life, Ruth held a variety of jobs. During World War II, she worked as a welder at the Mobile shipyard. For 49 years, she worked part-time as a Stanley Home Products dealer while continuing other work. She was a nurse’s aide in Mobile, and a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) worker at the Bay Area Food Bank for several years and worked for Warren’s Store in her neighborhood. She was a voting poll worker until age 90.
Mrs. Sexton worked tirelessly to improve her neighborhood and collected signatures to have Coleman Dairy Road paved, to have a traffic signal installed at the end of the road to reduce accidents and to have the post office moved from Wilmer to Semmes.
Wednesday afternoons were always devoted to the Golden Agers Senior Citizens group in Chickasaw where she attended weekly meetings to play bingo and eat lunch. Friends in Chickasaw and Eastern Star Sisters will remember Ruth’s hard work and good cooking.
Ruth was a dedicated member of Haven Woods Baptist Church and attended Sunday School and services regularly. Neighbor Ruby helped her attend services on the Sunday before her death. Members of her senior ladies’ class dwindled and for several months, her teacher Jettie Turner and Mama were the last two attending.
In 1944, Ruth and William Arden Sexton were married in Lucedale, MS and lived in Citronelle before moving to Mobile. They followed construction jobs for Arden in Mississippi and Louisiana; they lived in Crichton and Eight Mile before moving to the current home in Semmes in 1962. Arden passed away in 1982.
Ruth is survived by daughters Marie Patrick Lofton (son-in-law Ray Everett) and Betty Ruth Sexton Harbin (son-in-law Doug) and son Jimmy Sexton. Infant son William Ray passed away at the age of five months in 1948 and son Arden Eugene (daughter-in-law Mary) died in 2014.
Deborah, Amanda, Calvin, Jackie, Terry, Andrea, Matt, Carrie and Blake will surely miss Grannie Sexton, as will all 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and one great, great granddaughter Emery Rose.
Ruth leaves devoted sister-in-law Fannie Cannon and brothers-in-law William and Joseph Dobalavege in the Letahatchee, AL family with many nieces, nephews and other relatives around the country.
No matter if you called her Ruth, Mama, Mother, Grannie, Ruthie Mae or Mrs.
