Ruby Jewel

Last night, Aunt Ruby passed away in her sleep. As sad as I am, that I will miss her and that Emmy never got to know her, I am so grateful that she is no longer suffering. She slowly slipped into dementia following Uncle Warren’s death and then quickly fell into the depths of her Alzheimer’s. It always pained me to visit her as she always asked me where Momma was and why she didn’t visit her. When she first was admitted into the Alzheimer’s unit, I would tell her my name then I would tell her I was Teri’s daughter for her to recognize me. Eventually, I would try to back into her recognition by saying I was Ruth’s granddaughter but pretty soon, even that didn’t work.

I hope to always remember her for the beautiful, proper woman she was. She always had a perfect house with the crystal tea set on the tea cart just in case it was needed! When she and Uncle Warren lived in Forrest City, the garage to their house had the neatest little sunroom; Neall and I played for hours in that building—away from adults! The “stairstep” photo was taken in their backyard with Ruby’s grandsons (Harrison on one end and Warner on the other), Neall, me and cousin T, and Aunt Glady’s granddaughter Chrissy visiting. Even after they moved to Wynne, to be close to Momma, she kept it up. The two bedroom apartment was stuffed with all of her valuables and she and Uncle Warren were so happy. When Uncle Warren died, my cousin Gary said the most beautiful eulogy for his dad. Momma and I both had a copy that we kept close just to read the tribute of such a great guy. I never had a grandfather and Uncle Warren stepped in for me there, since he had never had any little girls--two sons and two grandsons. Gary spoke of how his father would “shamelessly flirt” with his mother and I often smile thinking of them, hoping that John will still shamelessly flirt with me when we are eighty. Could there be a better husband than that? Ruby would often get the urge to move the furniture on a whim and Uncle Warren, not being able to get around well, but being a huge stature of a man, would stand behind the sofa and push it around the living room in that little apartment to her content. Momma would walk in and cry out “Ruby Jewel! What are you doing????” It never wasn’t funny. When her grandson Warner was getting married, she was so happy to be getting a daughter into their little family. But just before, I got a card in the mail that read, “you’ll always be my first granddaughter”. Coincidentally, I found that card last night (before she had passed away) as I was arranging things in my sewing room. It made me tear up a little then and of course, it does now. When her great granddaughter was born, and died only hours later, Ruby smiled and spoke of how sweet it was to think of Warren rocking Annabelle in heaven, the first little girl in three generations.

After Uncle Warren died, she never got her footing back again and she moved around and around until she finally was in a home in Memphis near her son. Here she was, finally near her boys and she didn’t even know it. But now she is with her sisters and brothers, many of whom left so many years ago. I bet Uncle Warren was just as happy to see her last night as he was that first day he fell in love at first sight with her walking across the street in downtown Wynne.