With great sadness, the Styes family announces the passing of their mother, Ruth Naomi Melton Styes on Thursday, December 5, 2019. Ruth was taken into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and led to her heavenly home just days past her 94th birthday.
Born in Wilmington, NC on December 3, 1925 to Charles William Melton and Lillie Mae Robbins Melton, Ruth spent many years living on her family’s homestead in Masonboro Sound. She attended Winter Park Elementary in her youth and graduated from New Hanover High School. A member of Masonboro Baptist church for most of her life, she strived daily to serve her Lord and represent her Christian faith well. She married the love of her life, John George Styes Sr. at Masonboro Baptist Church in 1947.
Together, they eventually settled in Ortonville, Michigan and stayed busy raising a family of 5 until 1967 when they moved back to Masonboro and her old homeplace. After returning to Wilmington, she once again joined her church family attending her Baptist church the remaining years of her life. With pride she wore perfect attendance Sunday school pins, noting in her Bible 17 years of perfect attendance in August of 2000. Ruth would want her church family, and especially her Sunday school class, to know how much they meant to her and how she truly looked forward to coming to church.
In addition to many years of caring for generations of family, Ruth thoroughly enjoyed working in her gardens, cooking and baking. She was an accomplished seamstress who provided valuable services to many and created pieces of wedding attire for family and friends. She especially enjoyed working for folks at Wilmington’s Julia shop located in downtown Wilmington for many years.
She is survived by three sons and two daughters: John G. Styes Jr (Karen), William S. Styes, Sr, Charles W. Styes, Sr (Helen), Mary F. Styes and Peggy S. Styes along with seven grandchildren: William Styes Jr, Charges Styes Jr, Robert Styes (Olimpia), James Styes, Juliette Gulledge (Rich), John Styes III (Aralia) and Delynne Yenglin (Dave). She was also the proud great grandmother of twenty-one children and the great, great grandmother of three. In addition she was the proud aunt and great aunt of a host of nieces and nephews, especially among those were Patricia Elliott, George Cochrane (Gwen) and Kenneth Cochrane (Barb) who she raised much like her own after the passing of their mother Eva Melton Cochrane.
Visitation will be held from 6-8pm on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at the Coble Ward-Smith Funeral and Cremation Service, 3915 Oleander Dr. Wilmington, NC 28403.
The funeral service will be held at 11am on Thursday, December 12, 2019 at Masonboro Baptist Church, 1501 Beasley Road, Wilmington, NC 28409 with Dr. Gordon Wright, Jr. officiating. Interment will follow at the Masonboro Baptist Church Cemetery.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.coblewardsmithwilmington.com
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18