Ruth Jackson Hollands

Ruth J. Hollands, the daughter of the late David and Jennie Jackson, was born on September 1, 1925 in Carbondale, West Virginia. She was one of four children. She departed this life on January 31, 2018 in Carrollton, Texas.

Ruth’s father was a coal miner and her family lived in various coal mining towns in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania while growing up. When her mother was ill she was sent to live with her mother’s youngest sister, Willie Mae Young, and her husband, Luther Young, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ruth graduated from Fifth Avenue High School and it was there she met her husband, Ernest William Hollands, who was called “Bill” by everyone except his mother who called him “Billy”. The union lasted until his passing in 1977. They had two sons, Richard (deceased) and Kenneth.

Early in her employment career, Ruth was an elevator operator at the Hotel Webster Hall. Later she became an elevator operator at Hughes and Hatcher which was a men’s clothing store. She was promoted to the Will Call Department where she remained until her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Upon moving to Cleveland, she was hired and began working for Ohio Bell Telephone Company and she remained employed with them until her retirement after 30 years of service.

After retirement, Ruth moved to Temple, Texas to be close to her son and his family that lived in San Antonio. She kept busy by volunteering one day each week as a Candy Striper at Scott and White Hospital for over twenty years. She would also pamper herself at a spa in Temple where she would swim and exercise. Over the years, she worked part-time for Walmart in the Photo Processing Department, Texas Instruments as an assembly line technician, and at a check cashing company two days a week.

It was in Temple that she joined and became a member of Covenant Lutheran Church. While at Covenant, she developed a strong friendship with many members of the church and she remained active until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dementia in 2010. It was decided she would move to the Dallas area where she would be cared for by her family members. Originally, she lived in McKinney, Texas for 10 months and she later moved to the Twin Rivers Senior Retirement Center in Richardson, Texas until she passed away.

She leaves to mourn her passing her son Kenneth D. Hollands and wife Patricia A. Hollands; granddaughter Kenyatta O. Hollands, and grandson Brandon D. Hollands, all of Richardson; nephews David L. Jackson and Donald L. Jackson of Cleveland, Ohio; niece Connie Jean Smith and husband Sam of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and a host of great nephews, nieces, and friends. The family would like to acknowledge two of her long-term friends, Mrs. Bertha Pratt of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Mrs. Helen Burney of Cleveland, Ohio, along with a young man she always called her buddy, Arthur Tuggle,III of Cleveland, Ohio.

A Celebration of Life will be at Sparkman Funeral Home of Richardson, Texas at 1:00pm on Saturday, February 10, 2018 with Pastor and friend Heath Abel officiating. A reception will follow the service at the funeral home.