Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ruth Elizabeth House

Ruth Elizabeth House, 75, of Powderly, Texas, formerly of Prescott, died Sunday, October 11 at her home.

Mrs. House was born May 12, 1923, in Prescott, a daughter of Theodore Dewey and Verda Lee Sudsberry Seal. She attended Prescott Schools and married James Lafayette 'Fate' House on July 14, 1940, in Hope. They lived in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri before making Texas their home in 1951. They had lived in Lamar County since 1957.

Mrs. House graduated cum laude from Paris Junior College, Summa cum laude from East Texas State College and received her master's degree from East Texas State University, where she was a member of the English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta. She had done post graduate work at Texas A&M.

She retired in 1984 after teaching 22 years in the Paris Independent School District, all but two of those years being at Crockett Middle School.

Her biography was published for two different years in 'Personalities of the South,' and in the 'Dictionary of International Biography' and in the pictorial edition of 'The World Who's Who of Women.' She was a Colonial Dame of the Seventh Century by her accredited lineal descent from Robert Daniell, First governor of South Carolina. She was a Dame of the Magna Carta, and a member of the Colonial Order of the Crown by her accredited lineal descent from the Emperor Charlemagne. She was a life member of the Texas State Teachers Association, a life member of the Joseph Ligon Chapter of the D.A.R., where she had served as vice regent, registrar and other offices. She was a member of the Lamar Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, where she was registrar for many years, and a member of the George Washington Stell Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She was a member of the Lamar County Genealogy Society, where she served as volunteer librarian and board member, a member of the Lamar County Historical Society, the Texas Retired Teachers Association and the AARP. She was a life member of the Girl Scouts and a member of the Retired Senior Volunteer program. In 1987 she was presented with the Girl Scout Honor Pin for her work with that organization.

In 1989 she was named volunteer of the year by Family Haven, and also that year was chosen by the Red Valley Retired Senior Volunteer program as its volunteer of the year. In 1990 she was presented with the Kay Harris Brooks Award from the local YMCA.

She was devoted member of the Lamar Avenue Church of Christ, where she gave many volunteer hours at the church's Latch Key program and also its Jail Ministry and in teaching. She was preceded in death by one son, James Theodore House, in 1992 and one sister, Margaret Nicholson, in 1990.

Survivors include her husband, James Lafayette 'Fate' House of Powderly; a daughter and son-in-law, Betsy and Harold 'Butch' Mills of Paris, Texas; two sisters, Cordelia Stone of Texarkana and Peggy Rachel of Picayune, Miss.; six grandchildren, Diane House Coleman Ori, and Robert of Oakdale, Calif., Lee Robert House and Sonja of Greenville, Tenn., John House and wife of Oregon, Kristie Mills and Keith Mills both of Paris, James Theodore 'Teddy' House and Melinda of Paris; five great grandchildren, Jarred and Jacklyn Coleman of Oakdale, Calif., Jessica and Riley House of Greenville, Tenn., and Sara Beth House of Paris.

Graveside services were Wednesday, October 14, at De Ann Cemetery in Prescott with Gene Cloer officiating. Arrangements were by Brazzel/Cornish Funeral Home of Prescott.