Ruby Juanita Carpenter Hurt passed away peacefully on July 24, 2018, while having a conversation, holding a friendly hand, at the age of 101. Until the last weeks of her life, she lived at home under the care of her wonderful and loving daughter, Doris Hurt. Our fabulous mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother was born on May 9, 1917 in Bowie County, Texas in a family of nine children. She married Earl Herman Hurt on December 29, 1937 and raised two children, Doris and James, in and around De Kalb, Texas. A natural homemaker, she worked at the Red River Arsenal during World War II as a jeep mechanic. In 1962, the Hurt family moved to Lubbock, where she lived the rest of her life. Ruby “kept kids” in her home as a babysitter and eventually went to work and retired from Texas Instruments.
Ruby will be remembered for her great cooking, her love of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids, and her quick wit. Her home was a haven for her family, including her brother, R.L. (Junior) Carpenter, who lived with her the last twenty years of his life, and numerous nieces and nephews who stopped in regularly. Her family is fortunate to have quilts, crocheted blankets and doilies, and embroidery that she has lovingly left for them. Her unwritten recipes will be forever etched on our hearts. Ruby was blessed with a long and happy life, and she looked forward to and celebrated her 100th birthday last year.
Ruby is survived by her daughter, Doris, and son, James, two granddaughters and their husbands, Marie and Andy Moore and Christine Hurt and Paul Stancil, four great-grandchildren, Ryan Moore and Carter, Luke, and William Stancil. Having lived a long life, Ruby was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-two years, Earl, in 1990, seven of her siblings, and her daughter-in-law of fifty-two years, Linda, July 6, 2017. Ruby was a life-long member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Community of Christ).
The family would like to express their appreciation for Hospice of Lubbock, Chaplain Elizabeth Abraham, and the staff at Serendipity, who cared for Ruby in her final days. Services will be held “back home” in De Kalb, Texas.
