Ruth C. Gaskin

GASKIN, Ruth C., 77, of St. Petersburg, died Saturday November 24, 2007 at Morton Plant Rehab Facility in Clearwater. Ruth was born in Rondo, Arkansas to T.S. and Lillie Mae Bennett. Oh, how she loved her mom and dad. Times were hard on the farm but Ruth always did her part. She shared stories with her children and grandchildren of working in the fields all day and coming in and helping her mother cook, feed, and bathe everyone in the evenings. Ruth loved her brothers, Ted, Thomas, J.W., Grover, Ralph, Paul Ray, and her sisters, Lilomer, Ona, and Nellie. As they all grew up and married, she loved their spouses just as much; Loreen, Clatie, Frances, Judy, Carolyn, Shirley, Ed, and Clayton. She knew Raymond Gaskin as a little girl growing up and in 1947, they married. She added to her list of ?brothers and sisters? when she gained Raymond?s family, Ed and Ruth, Leonard and Jo, Alton and Sharon, Bill and Millie, Dorothy and Jimmy, and Sue and Jim. Others are deceased but were never forgotten. Ruth and Ray?s lives weren?t always easy but they made it to May 4, 1999, when Ray went to Heaven. They were just shy of their 52nd anniversary. They had a love that survived the day-to-day tribulations of life and when Ray passed, they were holding hands. They had three children, Patricia ?Pat? Solomon husband, Fred, Larry Gaskin wife, Sharon, and Lester Gaskin wife, Penny. Ray was the breadwinner and Ruth was the homemaker. There was never a lot of money but always lots of good food and warm family. Ruth?s children were her heart. She loved each one deeply, dearly, and equally. She taught them gospel hymns when they were small, made sure they were in Sunday School, and took them in her loving hands when they needed comforting. She was a strong Christian woman who loved her Lord. The glass was always ?half-full? and no matter how she felt, she would say, ?Honey, it could always be worse?. When Ray died, Ruth became her own individual special person ? she traveled alone for the first time to Yellowstone National Park to work in the craft shops at Old Faithful. She stayed five months the first year and acquired a wonderful extended ?family? and new lifelong friends. She hiked the mountains with her friend, Betty Nelson, taking pictures of the old barns and she even brought back a picture of this large grizzly bear, lying down eating an elk ? when her grandson asked if that was a postcard, she replied, ?No, honey, I was on a walk and saw it, so I took a picture??.her family didn?t even tell her of the dangers; they were just so proud that she had experienced the event safely. She went a second year to Yellowstone and longed to return just one more time but her health did not allow it. She went to New York City twice and fell in love with the big city. She saw Patsy Cline on Broadway, toured the city on the ferry, and got to stand on top of the observation deck of the World Trade Center. She won a $15, 000 raffle through the Rotary Club of Cape Coral and went every year to Atlanta to support the Shoebox Ministry. Ruth became confident and embraced life to its fullest. She had heart disease and survived lung cancer but approximately two years ago, she began to lose her balance, followed by a stroke in January of this year. In May one day after her birthday, she had a massive brain seizure while enjoying a family gathering in the mountains of NC. She was airlifted to Asheville Trauma Center and not expected to live. But they didn?t know Ruth and her stamina! She did recover but it was sadly decided that she could no longer live alone and she left her home of 30+ years and moved into Freedom Square to an assisted-living apartment. She was surrounded by her pictures of family and friends. She continued to be positive and once again, all who knew her loved her. What an inspiration she was to everyone. But her health continued to decline. Through many tests, procedures, and hospitalizations, she could not understand why her legs became weaker and weaker and her lower back hurt so badly. Recently, after being admitted to Morton Plant Hospital, it was discovered that she had a large tumor in her spinal cord. She lost the complete use of her legs and became bedridden. But she never lost her wonderful Christian spirit, her beautiful smile, or her ability to make everyone else feel encouraged. She was ?Grandmother Ruth? to so many. She had the best hugs and kisses in the world! Her grandchildren, Chris wife, Becky, Doug, Kim husband Billy, Shelby, and Aimee were truly lucky and blessed to have her as their ?real? grandma but she also adopted and loved Nathan, Anthony, Scott, and Steve, as her own as well. She had a granddaughter, Jenny, who preceded her in death and also had a grandson, Matt. Her great-grandchildren absolutely adored her; Corey, Nicholas, Hailey, Candler, Garrett, Carson and the newest additions to give her never ending joy, 19-month old twins, Skylar Ruth and Saige Christian. Ruth also ?adopted? as great-granddaughters Abby, Lucy, and Tori. Donna and David Growe were also very special to her. She leaves many, many nephews and nieces. She was so proud of them all. Her happiest times were when she was surrounded by family. To list her many friends or to even try to name each in her circle of all she loved would take forever but she especially loved her pals, Betsy Adams and Mildred Parker. They were shopping buddies and they had so much fun. They remained by her side to the end. Ruth considered her church, North East Park Baptist Church, a second home and loved every member but her Sunday School classmates were extra special to her. She always held her friends close to her heart. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, a good listener, a caregiver, a devoted friend, and always a volunteer when a helping hand was needed. She treated her neighbors as family; Mita, Dameao, Skip, Pam, to name a few. She will be dearly missed by one and all. Ruth lived her life as a true Christian in every sense of the word. She touched countless lives with her good deeds. Her daughter always said that ?she is an angel on earth? and now, she has gone to be an angel in Heaven. God certainly received a glorious addition to His throne. Her daughter, Pat, has lost her very best friend. Only Pat truly knows why her mom left this world with a sad and broken heart but takes such comfort in knowing that her mother is now home in the loving arms of her maker and at last, at peace. Rest well, my sweet wonderful deserving mother, and wait for us. We?ll all be together for Eternity. In lieu of flowers, you may wish to donate to the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. Friends may call Thursday Nov. 29, 2007 from 5:00PM until 8:00PM at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home, 2201 Dr. M.L. King St. N. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday Nov. 30, 2007 at 10:00AM at North East Park Baptist Church, 3737 1st St. NE, St. Petersburg. Interment will follow at Florida National Cemetery. Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home-NE St. Petersburg Chapel