Ruby Katherine Johnson

Ruby Katherine Johnson, 97, passed away peacefully in her sleep at Meadowview Place on December 11, 2021. She was born on February 16, 1924 at Pop's Mill in Nacogdoches County to William Allen and Mollie Francis Sparks. She attended Cedar Bluff Elementary and graduated from Nacogdoches High School at the age of 16.

Ruby attended secretarial school and was chosen to work at the Port Neches Shipyard during WWII because of her exceptional typing skills even though she didn't meet the age requirement for several weeks. After the war, she married Troy and went to work for Nibco Industries until the birth of her daughter, Phylis.

Ruby was a faithful servant of God and valued her faith above everything. She taught the Bible to 3 and 4 year olds for several decades, and always believed in their ability to recite the names of every old and new testament book in order. In her later years, she had numerous adults express their warm memories of their time in her class. She loved singing hymns as she went about her work, and never tired of carrying out her duties to visit the sick and elderly shut ins. She cooked meals for visiting preachers, sang at innumerable funerals, encouraged the faint hearted, and comforted the grieving.

Ruby's second love was her husband, Troy. She was his biggest fan when he played college baseball and helped him on the farm whether he needed her to help herd cattle or drive a trailer load of calves to the livestock auction while he was at school. Every meal was planned with his likes and dislikes in mind, and no meal was ever eaten until he came in from working, no matter how late. She was the caretaker of 60,000 chickens when Troy decided to go into the poultry business and became very creative with recipes centered around chicken. She rubbed his back when it hurt, made protein shakes for him every night in his later years, and faithfully kept her promise to him that she would never cook spam for any meal since he had eaten so much of it in the army, or ever comment or offer her opinion when he traded horses.

Ruby was also devoted to her children, and raised Phylis, Scotty, and Sheila with bedtime Bible stories and songs. Ruby thought the best way to wake someone was to sing a cheery song about a red, red robin who was bob, bob, bobbin' along and somehow the smell of bacon frying made that acceptable. She was an adept seamstress and always made sure there were new dresses to wear. She hand sewed hundreds of pearls on bridal lace and the same number of sequins on Christmas stockings for her grandkids. She loved to go on walks in the woods and show young eyes the miracles of nature, and drove thousands of miles to 4H meetings, Little League baseball games, band practice, and football games.

Ruby also was actively involved in the community and genuinely loved and cared for her neighbors. She knew everyone in Nacogdoches County and could somehow explain how they were all related. She served as an election judge when it was time to vote, made a pie when someone passed away, served as hostess for many bridal and baby showers, worked in the concession stand during football games, and was always available to sit at the hospital when someone was sick. The only thing she loved more than playing 42 and working jigsaw puzzles was her yard and flowers.

Self discipline was an integral part of Ruby's life, and that trait was never needed more than when the family suffered a car wreck one evening on the way home from church, when Ruby was just 42. With one leg crushed, the other leg, and an arm broken, she spent many months in a hospital bed refusing to let the doctors amputate her leg and resolved to walk again. She succeeded with quiet resolve and never shared her pain with others.

Ruby was a great source of help, comfort, and guidance to so many. She has touched so many lives and hearts and has left behind a legacy of service to others. She is now singing praises and enjoying the reward for her life of faithfulness.

She is survived by daughter Phylis and husband, Walt Simonds of Nacogdoches; son, Scotty Johnson of Tucson, AZ; daughter Sheila and husband, Randy Dawson of Greenville, TX; grandchildren Greg Stanaland and wife Melissa; Jody Bond and husband Aaron, Chris McMurray, Travis McMurray, and Katie Mcmurray; great grandchildren Chaney, Rylee, and Bryson Stanaland and Maci, Kennedy, and Tucker Bond.

A visitation for Ruby will be held Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 1:00 PM at Stallings Drive Church of Christ, 3831 NE Stallings Dr, Nacogdoches, TX, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM.

Serving as pallbearers are Scott Beasley, Carroll White, Tommy Goad, Eddie Whitaker, Bill Jobe, Tyler Evans, Daryl Sparks, and Aaron Jobe

Ruby will be laid to rest in Bethel Cemetery, Appleby, TX.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.casonmonk-metcalf.com for the Johnson family.