In Lieu of Flowers the family requests memorials to: World Bible School P. O. Box 2169 Cedar Park, TX 78630 or Camp Rock Creek P. O. Box 7307 Moore, OK 73153 Ruth Mallett was born January 15, 1930 to Elbert "Mountie" and Eva Mallett in Springfield, AR. Growing up in the Depression Era, Ruth was frugal with everything from water to electricity to aluminum foil. Some 'friends' would even tease her about having the same piece of aluminum foil for decades. Ruth had one older sister, Faye. Ruth finished high school a year early so that she and Faye could attend Freed Hardeman College together. She grew up, picking cotton and drawing water from a 75-foot well. She met Lewis, a young 'preacher boy' at Freed Hardeman and they began dating. He went home with her one weekend, and proposed on the way home and she said 'yes.' They would marry and enjoy a 69-year marriage, working for the Lord together in the service of His Church. Together, they were a dynamic duo. Lewis transferred to Abilene Christian College, where they lived until he graduated. It may have been there, where she worked as a secretary, that she learned her mad organizational skills. Ruth accompanied Lewis when he began his preaching career in Stigler OK, later moving to Lorenzo TX with their first son, Michael. In 1956, they moved to Oklahoma City, now with two sons which included Barry, to begin working with the Southwest Church of Christ. Ruth loved this congregation and worked side by side with Lewis until his death in 2018. This dynamic duo was responsible for starting program after program to build up the church, develop Christian friendships, reach out to the lost and lonely, recognize groups like widows and shut-ins, and conducted countless Bible studies. Lewis directed camp sessions at Rock Creek youth camp for many years, where Ruth was the head cook and cabin-checker. She also helped Lewis with the Christian Men's Retreat, youth retreats and outings, always providing her mad cooking skills. They worked side by side to further Christian education, writing numerous books, and Bible school material and publishing them as well. Ruth was a firm believer that teaching God's Word needed to begin with babies. And many a nursery teacher would prove her right, demonstrating that our babies would pat the Bible and do motion to songs and rhymes. She dedicated her life to supervising the Preschool Department at the Southwest Church of Christ. She was loving known as 'Miss' Ruth. And many teachers would threaten to take an unruly student to her, knowing she would straighten them out. Lewis and Ruth were well-known for inviting Christian friends into their home for meals and fellowship, including youth gatherings where games were played and life-long Christian friendships were made. Ruth made it a point to invite those who didn't have a place to go for holidays, always sharing meals, homemade rolls or jelly. One of the last programs Ruth started was taking flowers to widows for Mother's Day. She will also be remembered for the many years of classes she had over the summer to teach boys and girls etiquette, cooking, gardening, sewing and a host of other things she thought young people ought to know. Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, Lewis, husband of 69 years, and sibling Faye Billingsley. She is survived by her children: Mike and Vernona Hale, Barry Hale, Melinda and Bryan Sims; 8 grandchildren, and eighteen great grandchildren. She is also survived by her family of brothers and sisters of the Southwest Church of Christ.