MIDLAND - Ruth Porter, 99 of Midland, died Feb. 20, 2020. Born on May 29, 1920 she was the daughter of the late William E. and Dorcas Stewart Smith.
She was a loving daughter, sister, mother and grandmother. She was the oldest of seven children. Being the oldest she bossed all the kids as they grew up. She had two sisters and four brothers. She had two fur babies that she loved to play with.
She loved her flowers. She used to say when they moved from one place to another that she gave away more flowers than a lot of nurseries had. She also would go to a nursing home every week and wash, curl, and brush patients hair and make them pretty. She was a stay at home mom and was always busy growing gardens and then canned the food to feed her family. She was never lazy and cooked and cleaned every day. Before clothes washers were invented she would heat her water outside to do the laundry, hang to dry on a clothes line and then iron all the clothes. She said that she had an old iron that you put on an iron stove to heat the iron. She never complained about all the work she had to do. She even mad lye soap to wash clothes with. Every thing was always very clean.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lealon A. Porter, her Son James Porter, her sisters Mary Halliburton and Audrey Smith, her brothers John Smith, Henry Smith and Andrew (Buddy) Smith and her son-in-law Robert Jeffcoat.
She is survived by her children Wanda Jeffcoat, Verlin Porter and his wife Juanita and Lloyd Porter, her brother William (Billy) Smith and his wife Margaret, her sister-in-law Rachel Smith, her grandchildren Bruce Jeffcoat, Vickie Jeffcoat, Rickey Porter, Lealon Porter, Angela Henry and Tina Schriner and numerous great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Funeral services were Feb. 25, at Olmstead Funeral Home with Bruce Jeffcoat officiating. Interment followed in Martin Cemetery.
Pallbearers were be Bruce Jeffcoat Lloyd Porter, Verlin Porter, Lealon Porter, Mark Smith and Bryan Smith.
Arrangements are by Olmstead Funeral Home.