The Magical Ruth

My father's cousin Ruth was always "Aunt Ruth" to us.  She was this bigger-than-life person who visited us in the 1950s and 1960s.  She lived in Parkersburg, West Virginia.  She would arrive in Keyser on the Baltimore and Ohio passenger train, my father would pick her up at the station and bring her to stay with us for several days.  She would visit all of her country cousins.  But my sister and I were transfixed by her bubbly personality.  She was so tiny, about 4-foot-nine!  She always had a smile on her face enhanced by her red lipstick, nails painted bright red, perfectly coiffed hair, and the greatest earrings.  She had so many stories about our Parkersburg relatives, especially about her successful children who had careers in New York and California.  But then she would be off to Petersburg to visit her other cousins before returning to Parkersburg. Her appearances were magical moments during our childhood.

When our family made its trek west to southern Ohio to visit my mother's relatives we always stopped in Parkersburg and Belpre to visit my father's relatives.  And of course that included at least an hour with Aunt Ruth. 



George William Stewart (12/1869-08/20/1937) and Mary Jane Susan Redman (03/10/1872-08/16/1927) married in 1885. They were born and raised in Grant County West Virginia and moved to Parkersburg in Wood County West Virginia. They had thirteen children; not all surviving childhood. Their youngest was Ruth Mona Stewart.

Ruth Mona Stewart was born May 2, 1910.  On May 7, 1928 she married Harold Fairfax Young who was born September 5, 1907.

Ruth and Harold had  five children:  

1. Harold Fairfax Jr. 
2. Fawne who married Milton Clay 
3. Roxy Young who married Lonnie Bradford 
4. Ivan Young 
5. Carlton D. Young 

Ruth Mona Stewart passed in September, 1976 and Harold F Young passed July 10, 2001.