Ruth Radford Harvill

Mrs. Ruth R. Harvill, beloved wife of Mr. W. E. Harvill, Jr. (Bill), left to be with her Heavenly Father after a brief hospitalization at Cartersville Medical Center on Thursday, February 23, 2017. She had struggled for years with numerous, serious health problems but succumbed to pancreatic cancer within a week of diagnosis.

Ruth was preceded in death by her mother, Eloise Harriet Moseley Radford and her father, Albert F. Radford (of Augusta, GA). Many of Ruth’s eight brothers and sisters predeceased her, including Albert Radford (of Chapel Hill, NC), George Radford (of Melbourne, FL), Rosemary Radford Rister (of Granger, TX), Loretta Williams (of Augusta, GA), Eloise Varnes (of Augusta, GA), Bob Radford (of Augusta, GA), and Margaret R. Hensley (of Augusta, GA).

Ruth is survived by her youngest sister, Hazel R. Lightbody, of Pasadena, CA. She is survived by her two very special daughters, Julia Ann Smith and her husband, Albert C. Smith, Jr. (of Kennesaw, GA) and Harriet H. Windsor and her husband, Larry M. Windsor, Jr. (of Cartersville, GA). Ruth is survived by four grandsons, Albert Smith (of Baltimore, MD), Ben Smith (of Fresno, CA), Chris Smith (of Atlanta, GA), and Dominic Windsor (of Cartersville, GA). She is also survived by three very special great-granddaughters, Cecilia and Rosalie Smith (of Fresno, CA) and Harper Natalie Britt (of Adairsville, GA). Ruth is also survived by several nieces and nephews (and their families) who live in many different parts of the country. Her dear Christian friend, Saundra Smalls, provided valued life support and friendship. Ruth and her family were blessed to have Amy Potter, Rachel Potter, Joyce Bird, and Kevin Laird who assisted in giving the care and attention she was accustomed to having prior to declining health. She had many special friends from the Faith UMC Journeymen Class and others in the local community, including Jean and Lowell Croft and Kim Sewell. The family is also very grateful for the attentive care and compassion of Pastor Charlie Marus of Faith United Methodist Church.

Ruth was born in North Augusta, SC in 1926. She lived in North Augusta, SC and then Augusta, GA throughout her early years. She attended Houghton Grammar School and Tubman High School in Augusta. Ruth and Bill met in Augusta in 1944 and dated off and on for almost six years, planning a formal wedding to be held in Augusta. Rather abruptly, they decided to elope and got married in the mountains of Northeast Georgia on July 17, 1950. After they were married, Bill and Ruth came to Cartersville to help Bill’s father open and run Bill’s Boat Dock at the newly formed Lake Allatoona. Bill and Ruth lived in a seventeen foot trailer on the side of Lake Allatoona for almost six years before moving to Cartersville to start a family. Ruth provided morale support for Bill as he went to work as a teacher at Cartersville High School for two years, and then took a job at the Bell Bomber Plant (now Lockheed Martin) in Marietta, GA. Ruth valued her role as caring wife, mother, and later as grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Bill and Ruth joined Atco Methodist Church in 1952. The impact of Christ and His church on their lives has been amazing, widening their circle of friends and providing many avenues for ministry and service. Ruth stood by Bill as he faithfully taught the Men’s Bible Class for almost 17 years. She then supported him as he was “called” to teach The Journeymen Sunday School class, which was a large group of young adults who were very active in the life of the church. Ruth and Bill were also active in the Lay Witness Mission movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For many years, Ruth and Bill served as Certified Lay Speakers for the United Methodist Church. They also received the 1992 Denman Award for Evangelism awarded by the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. This award recognized outstanding lay evangelistic efforts. Both Bill and Ruth were indeed humbled by this award but honored to be recognized in such a way. Ruth and Bill also served as evangelism leaders for several years while Dr. Brian Germano was pastor at Faith.

Ruth was consistently loyal and dedicated to God, her church, her family, and community, after leaving her job at Chemical Products Corporation to become a stay at-home mother. She provided much loving care for her daughters’ formative years. Ruth was also very active in leadership roles in her church (now Faith United Methodist Church) – serving many years as president of the United Methodist Women (and in other roles). She served in many ways – working to coordinate the Journeymen Class’ Calling Post Ministries, as a member of the church’s Shepherd Ministry, as a member of the Administrative Board/Council, and as publicity chairperson for the church. Ruth also served for many years as a Teaching Leader for a Bible Study Fellowship Group in Alpharetta, GA, and she also hosted many Women’s Bible Study Groups in her home. She and Bill served for years delivering Meals on Wheels to local homes. She also volunteered at the Community Church Shop and helped with many causes including being neighborhood coordinators for fund-raising campaigns for the American Lung Association and the American Heart Association. Ruth was a long-time member of the Magnolia Garden Club. In one of her most beloved endeavors, Ruth helped to begin the Chrismon Ministry at Faith United Methodist Church. While many of the old Chrismons have had to be discarded due to age and disrepair, the church’s Chrismon tree still contains several of those first Chrismons. Ruth truly had a heart for ministry and a dedication to Bible Study. In later years, declining health had forced her to have to give up much of her church involvement and it was truly a great loss to her. Relationships with Ruth’s family, church and community friends, however, brought her exceedingly great comfort during the latter years of her life. The family is forever grateful for the relationships and generosity of the many friends who ministered to Ruth during this time.

Ruth’s homecoming celebration will be held at Faith United Methodist Church on Monday, February 27, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation with the family will be held in the same location at 1:00 p.m. Her cremains will be interred at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton at a later date.

Ruth’s family requests that memorial contributions be designated for the Manna Food Pantry ministries of Faith United Methodist Church, 501 Grassdale Road, Cartersvile, GA 30121.

Please visit wwwowenfunerals.com to leave online condolences for the family.

Owen Funeral Home, 12 Collins Drive, Cartersville has charge of the arrangements.