Ruth Lindsay (Ruth Faye Yancey) of Athens, passed away peacefully just before dawn on Monday, February 9th, 2015, one week before her 99th birthday. She was born February 15th, 1916, the fifth of eight children to William Wesley Yancey and Eugenia Madgie Jane Prater in Morgan County.
Ruth was predeceased by her husband, Leon Lindsay; and her sisters, Velma Roper, Myra Kay, Eulalia Wellden and brothers, Clifford Yancey and Wesley (Buddy) Yancey; two siblings, Bessie and Jessie, who died as children, and her grandson, Jason Brown.
She grew up in Limestone County, near Tanner, and was a 1934 graduate of Tanner High School. She was married for 51 years to Leon Lindsay, a Limestone County farmer. They raised their four children on a cotton farm near Jones Cross Roads. Later they moved to Parches Cove in Marshall County where Ruth loved being surrounded by the beauty of the Tennessee River and the lore and relics of Alabama’s Indian ancestors. In 2005, Ruth moved back to Athens.
Dearly loved by her family, Ruth has three surviving daughters and a son, Myrna Ruth Burgreen, Athens, Houston Leon Lindsay, Arab, Madge Marie Lindsay, Fort Davis, TX, Nellie Dianne Brown, Loretto, TN, and daughter-in-law, Brenda (Crow) Lindsay. She has eight grandchildren, Ricky Burgreen, Dana Burgreen Staples, Lindsay Burgreen, Jennifer Lindsay (Nix) Gibson, Garth Lindsay, Miles Lindsay, Brian Smith and Molly Brown as well as nine great grandchildren.
Ruth with her gracious strength yet gentle ways had many talents. She loved gardening, cooking and making a beautiful home for her family. She also enjoyed living close to nature and feeding the native birds in her yard. Her hobbies were bowling, sewing and traveling. Her long life speaks to the care and providence by which she lived. She will be greatly missed by the many who knew and loved her.
A special thanks to caregivers Linda Nave, Bert Frazier, Donna Pack and the staff at Limestone Health Facility and Hospice of Limestone County for their kind and loyal support.
Services will be held at McConnell Funeral Home today, February 10th. Visitation is noon to 1:30 p.m. The Rev. Bruce McMillan will officiate at services in the chapel and burial in Athens Cemetery. Pallbearers include grandsons Ricky Burgreen, Lindsay Burgreen, Brian Smith, Garth Lindsay, Miles Lindsay and grandsons-in-law Dan Staples and John Gibson.
