She was a resident of Westlake for 65 years, and was a native of Bristow, Oklahoma. Ruth Hedy (Polm) Dawson was born to James Monroe and Edna (Reinhart) Polm on February 8, 1925. She and her twin brother, Rufus Henry “Buck,” were the youngest of eight children. She was educated at the Oak Grove Consolidated School south of Bristow, was salutatorian of her eighth-grade class and later earned her high school diploma.
On November 30, 1942 she married Jack Wade Dawson at Bristow. They lived in Stroud and Ponca City, OK before Continental Oil Company transferred Jack to their Westlake, LA refinery in 1953. They built a house in Westlake and moved there from Maplewood in 1954. After celebrating 70 years of marriage Jack passed away on January 13, 2013.
During their children’s childhood Ruth was a homeroom mother, Camp Fire leader, Cub Scout Den mother, taught VBS at First Baptist Church of Westlake and volunteered and served in many other ways in their children’s lives.
As their children reached adulthood, she and several friends became interested in ceramics, and she was on a trophy winning bowling team! She and Jack began camping first in a Shasta travel trailer and progressed from travel trailers to motorhomes. They traveled through most of the United States with family members and friends, or just the two of them. They were members of the Jean Lafitte chapter of the Good Sam Clubs, which was very active at that time.
Ruth enjoyed gardening and yard work, and their home was chosen several times by the Westlake Garden Club as Home and Yard of the Month. The bounties of their gardens and fruit trees were shared with their friends and neighbors. She was also known for her cooking, baking and canning. Her grandchildren knew there would be something to eat at Grandma Dawson’s house no matter what time of day they visited. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the most special holidays from their children’s and grandchildren’s childhoods to adulthood.
Ruth was a Christian and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Westlake.
Ruth is survived by three children and their spouses, Wanda and Jim Keathly of Dallas, Texas, Linda and Jimmy Gill of Sulphur, and Billy and Elaine (Koonce) Dawson of Westlake; seven grandchildren, Jimmie (Jeni) Keathly, Christopher (Lisa) Keathly, Amy (Brian) Gill-Horton, Charles (Michele) Gill, Catherine Gill, Julie (Brad) Gill-Arton, and Amanda Dawson; and 15 great grandchildren.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Jack Dawson; her parents; four brothers Odell Frederick, Charlie Isaac, Harry Monroe “Bill,” and Rufus Henry “Buck” Polm and three sisters, Hazel Isabell Polm, Violet Marie Reed, and Florence Ruth Moore.
Visitation will be held Monday, January 7, 2019 from 4 pm – 8 pm at Hixson Funeral Home of Westlake. Visitation will resume at 8 am Tuesday, January 8. Funeral services will be held at 10 am with Dr. Christopher Keathly officiating. Burial will be at Westlake Memorial Cemetery.
