RUTH DAVIS, Obituary

WHITLASH Ruth McGee Davis, 88, died Friday, Nov. 22, 2002, at a Chester hospital.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Whitlash Community Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at the Whitlash Cemetery.

Ruth was born at East Butte in the Sweet Grass Hills on Dec. 26, 1913, to Lester Allen Stott and Nettie Addie Alvord. Because of the severe winter at Easter Butte, the family moved to Whitlash, where Lester built a two-story building. The building served as their living quarters, black smith shop, grocery and mercantile store, post office, and customs office in the years that followed.

Ruth received her early schooling at the Sunnyside School near Whitlash. She attended Chester High School her freshman year. The Stotts moved to Chattaroy, Wash., in 1928 and Ruth finished her formal education there.

She met her first husband, Harold H. McGee, and they were married on March 11, 1930, in Spokane, Wash. They had three daughters before their marriage ended in divorce in 1938.

Ruth married Charles A. Davis on Feb. 21, 1939, at Spokane. They had four children. They worked and lived in the Spokane community during their early married life. Ruth's two oldest daughters died within hours of each other of diphtheria in 1944.

Ruth and Charles traveled throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada during their marriage. When Charles died in 1990, they lived in Chattaroy. Ruth and her daughter Evelyn moved back to Whitlash in 1999 and lived with Ruth's sister, Louisa Anderson, in the house where they grew up.

Ruth was a member of the Whitlash Community Presbyterian Church.

In her younger years, Ruth enjoyed hunting, fishing, crocheting, cooking and baking. In Arizona and Nevada, Ruth and Charles cruised the rugged terrain in their dune buggy in search of collectible mineral rocks. She also liked reading novels, working crossword puzzles, and playing cards and Scrabble. She also played piano and wrote several children's stories for her family.

Ruth was a descendant of Alexander Alvord who came to America in the 1620s and William Brewster who arrived on the Mayflower.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughters, Ethel Mae and Ruth "Lucille"; brother, Ray Stott; sisters, Ellen McGee and Louisa Anderson; and four siblings in their youth.

Survivors include her sons, Lee (Kaye) Davis of Shelby and Edwin (Cindy) Davis of Halfway, Ore.; daughters, Barbara (Bill) Delong of Chattaroy, Wash., Fay Clark and Evelyn Davis, both of Whitlash; 15 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces.

Memorials may be given to the Liberty County Hospital or donor's choice.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.