Tributes

Ruth Aleen Reid was born at her parents'homein San Antonio on August 8, 1929, where she lived until her marriage in 1947.The youngest of six children, she was often thought of as "momma's favorite," andas a child, she spent a lot of time playing in the neighborhood with other children.Ruth held onto that playful spirit her entire life and was very creative and quick-witted. After graduating from Brackenridge High School in 1947, she met Jack Farris, who was in the United States Air Force, at Brooks Field.They were married in November 1947.Ruth easily adapted to the Air Force lifestyle, and she and Jack moved often. They first lived in San Antonio, where their daughter, Alice Jane, was born. They later moved to Florida before returning to Austin, where their son, Ronald Lafe, was born. Over the years, they were also stationed in Japan, Abilene, Del Rio, and Waco before retiring to Uvalde in 1967. After Jack passed away in 2003, Ruth returned to San Antonio, eventually moving to the Georgetown area in 2011 to be closer to Jane. While Ruth was growing up, theReid family spent summers in Leaky and eventually beganvacationing inRockport each year for recreation and fishing.These family reunion trips to the coast continued well into her adulthood and grew as her family became larger and larger.She and Jack also hosted family parties at their river cabin which she named "The Broke Oak" on the Nueces, where endless stories, lies, and traditions were born.She and Jack were avid bowlers – not only did they practically raise their children in bowling alleys, but they also celebrated their 50th anniversary in one. Ruth was artistic, enjoyed crafts, and was a gifted painter.She ran a craft store in Uvalde for several years and applied her creativity to everything she did, whether she was painting, sculpting, or using old boots as garden planters. She derived a great deal of creative inspiration from her local Goodwill Store, which she called "Willy's." In fact, Willy's inspired her to invent "Junk Christmas," a tradition that involves buying funny and nice gifts from garage sales and thrift stores, then gifting them in clever combinations – for example, a fuzzy stuffed flamingo wearing a nice bracelet as a necklace. She could not "get her heart started" without coffee, a morning ritualshe enjoyed every day until she passed. Ruth brought beauty and a sense of fun wherever she went, easily earning the love of those she encountered on her life's path. She loved her family and was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is survived by her sister Ernie, brother JC, children Jane and Ron, grandchildren Preston, Charles, BJ, Amy Ruth and Lindsay, five great-grandchildren, countless nieces and nephews, and the manyothers whose lives she has touched.

Tributes

Ruth A. Farris

August 8, 1929 - November 4, 2013