J. Ruth Rudder

J. Ruth Rudder, 83, of Dothan passed away at Millington Healthcare in Millington, TN on May 9, 2012.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 pm Thursday, May 17, 2012 at Sunset Funeral Home. A memorial service will be 2 pm Monday, June 4, 2012 at Westgate Church of Christ with Minister Bill Watkins officiating. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 531313, Henderson, NV, 89053, or to the National Arthritis Foundation, PO Box 96280, Washington, D.C., 20077.

Mrs. Rudder was born July 5, 1928 in Illmo, MO and spent the early part of her life there. She married Paul L. Rudder on October 17, 1947 in Ft. Riley, KS and spent several years moving with his military career to many places including Germany, Ft. Hood, TX, Cape Girardeau, MO, Ft. Rucker, AL, Dothan, AL, San Marcos, TX, Ft. Dix, NJ, and Ft. Sill, OK. Following her husband's retirement from service they located permanently in Dothan, AL in 1975. She was a homemaker and was very involved with Westgate Church of Christ. Mrs. Rudder and her husband were founding members of the Park Ave. Church of Christ in Dothan and during their stay in Cape Girardeau, MO they worked on establishing a Church of Christ Student Union for the Southeast Missouri State University. She was a past officer with the Retired Military Officers Wives Club, involved with the PTA, the Band Boosters, and the K.I.T. Club at Westgate Church of Christ. Mrs. Rudder was preceded in death by her husband Paul L. Rudder, her parents John V. and Addie Mae Tidwell, her brothers Willis Lucas and John Tidwell, and her sisters Elberta Schaefer and Sue Mincey.

Survivors include her daughters, Leslie (Joe) Ford of Bartlett, TN and Tracy Jill Rudder of Dothan, AL; a granddaughter Hayley Ford; a brother Jack (Alice) Tidwell of Bella Vista, AR; a sister-in-law Loretta Klump of St. Louis, MO; several nieces and nephews also survive.