The Funeral Service of Sarah Ruth Towry Jennings
Our family including my mother, my aunt Cathy, my brother, my sisters, my first cousins and my grandmother’s sister Patsy thank you for being here to help us celebrate the life of my grandmother whose life was fully lived for 96 years.
Most women when they reach such a great age as my grandmother wake up in the morning and reach for their teeth and glasses; but, no, not my grandmother. The first things she reached for were her lipstick and earrings. That was the essence of my grandmother through-and-through.
She grew up in the small village of Skinem, TN the fourth of six children of Julia and Ewin Towry. And being a middle child, my grandmother had her work cut out for her, but she made the best of it. Their days were filled with fun and laughter, from climbing grape vines and swinging out over the heights of Wells Hill falls, to the daily games of some-type-of ball, to the, as she and her sisters said, “Boring Sunday afternoon rides through Lincoln County.”
To say that my grandmother was competitive was an understatement. Her entire life she made everything she did an adventure and how best she could excel and win. So many things I could talk about, but here are a few. When she was in high school, she and Aunt Nita played basketball one year together. Grandmother expected Aunt Nita to always throw her the ball and when she did not, Aunt Nita got an earful. (This continued until the day Aunt Nita went home to God.) Another time, I can remember Grandmother telling that Aunt Nita had bought a new car. In those days you had a needle on the dashboard that showed how fast you were going. Knowing how grandmother was never one to shy away from a dare, Aunt Anita said, “Ruth I have not hidden the needle yet; I dare you to.” And guess what? She did. She had the car over 130 mph on the interstate. As she started up a hill, she decided to slow down. When she crested it, she met a group of State Troopers. Luckily, she had gotten it under 80. She never did that again.
She and her sisters, Nita and Patsy, continued their competitive camaraderie throughout their lives. They had the same dentist for years and would schedule their appointments to coincide. Patsy would drive going the back way because she did not like driving on Memorial Parkway. Aunt Cathy tells the story that their dentist told to her: “Anita, Ruth, and Patsy, the 3 sisters, all had the same dentist for years.  When Dr. Payer retired and Dr. Brown bought his practice, they began seeing her.  Dr. Brown always scheduled their cleanings and exams on the same day, blocking off the entire morning just for them. She said she had never met anyone like these ladies.  Together they were bigger than life and took over the entire office.  But what most impressed her was how competitive they were with one another.  If one had a cavity, the next wanted a crown, and then the next wanted a root canal.  And as luck would have it, all three kept their teeth!!”
In more recent times she taught her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to play ping pong and card games like Rook and Spades, as-well-as dominos. If you ever saw my grandmother play ping pong you were amazed. Once, in the only ping pong tournament she ever entered, she was the oldest contestant and the second oldest was 20 years her junior. Her grandsons Bart and Joe to whom she had taught the game also entered. I am not sure how many were in the tournament, but there were several. At the end, Grandmother was First, and Joe and Bart came in Second and Third. That tells how she would be determined, no matter what, to win.
One week before her death, she played ping pong again all-the-while instructing others how to best play in order to win. The staff at Bailey Manor provided the equipment for her to show her talent.
And, oh, to play cards with her. Aunt Nita, Aunt Patsy, Grandmother Ruth and I would play cards frequently when I came home. I would always be partners with Aunt Nita. I would try every way to set Grandmother out of the joy of seeing her figure a way to win even when Aunt Nita would park the Joker under her leg and pull it out in the end and set grandmother. And then of course grandmother would take it out on me…. But oh, what laughs we had.
Most importantly, Grandmother was a strong believer in God and instilled that in her Children, Grandchildren and Greats. She never lost a chance to talk to you about the good news of Christ, and the impact it had on all of us was profound. Looking back now, we have all been blessed to have had such a strong believer as my grandmother.
She had a lot of happiness in her life from meeting the man she was happily married to for 55 years my grandfather A. G. “Spud” Jennings, to her three children, Mary, George and Louis, 12 Grandchildren and her 19 Great-Grandchildren. She loved us all, and we loved her back. Even in these last years, all of her Great Grandchildren loved to go and see their “RURU” as she was known by the Greats.
Grandmother also had great sorrow in her life especially the loss of her two sons. Most people would have given in to such loss, but my grandmother always figured a way to move forward. These last years of her life have been the most challenging as her health began to decline and she got frustrated with not being able to get around as she did or remember as she did, but we still saw a twinkle in her eye when we would go to visit her.
But now as we say goodbye for the last time, I know that she has fought the fight and won the race. She has gone home to be with God, and she is now at that heavenly table with Pops, George, Louis, Ewin, Julia, Paul, Nita, Bill and J.E., and she will be there to welcome us all home one day. I look forward to that day when I too can be there with her and all our family.
Grandmother I love you and always will, I already miss you and our daily calls, and the unconditional love you showed me and all of us our entire lives. Thank you for being my grandmother and thank God for letting us have you for as long as we did.
And now I would like to end with this prayer.
Go forth from this world, O Christian soul: in the love of God the Father who created you, in the mercy of Jesus Christ who redeemed you, in the power of the Holy Spirit who strengthens you. May the heavenly host sustain you and the company of heaven enfold you. In communion with all the faithful, may you dwell this day in peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mary and all the family,

You are all on our hearts today and we are sending love and prayers for peace and comfort. It is so hard to say goodbye to someone who has been such a central part of your lives and such a contributor to every aspect of who you are. What an amazing woman and her influence will be with you always!
We are with you in spirit.

Much love,
Jill and Bill Speight

I’m so sorry for the loss of such a precious lady, she was always such a classy lady. I remember attending Camaro Church of Christ with her and the family. Prayers of comfort to all, I know she will be missed, but she’s at home with no pain with her loved ones. As the song goes “Walking the Streets of Gold”

I’m so blessed to have known Ruth, a Beautiful, Elegant, Expert Ping Pong Player, Christian Woman with a great knowledge of the Bible. I missed her after we moved. I’m confident that her family is missing her, but they are blessed to have precious memories of such a woman!

Your loss is Heaven’s gain! What a jewel RuRu was. I know you will miss her. May God comfort your hearts.

Fashion Corner was my go-to when Ruth and Anita ran it. We share a lot of laughs together. One day I went in and Ruth, Anita, and their sister, Patsy were playing cards on the balcony, singing to the top of their voices, and having a large time. They told me they did that often in their growing up years.

Take care, she’s up there singing and being RuRu! Loved her!

So sorry to hear of your family’s loss. Praying for comfort snd strength for the family

So sorry for your loss. May God comfort you all during this diffcult time. You all are in our thoughts & prayers. God Bless, Mary, Teresa Partin, Billy McGehee

Forever grateful to Mrs.Ruth for comforting Aunt Vera in Lincoln Manor one morning when she had had a stroke- she said ,”i think I did her some good” and I know she did- they were in quarantine but when we got to be with her that last couple of days Mrs Ruth was a comfort to us too – i know it was hard on her- was so glad she was her room- mate- prayers for the family ❤️

The Funeral Service of Sarah Ruth Towry Jennings
Our family including my mother, my aunt Cathy, my brother, my sisters, my first cousins and my grandmother’s sister Patsy thank you for being here to help us celebrate the life of my grandmother whose life was fully lived for 96 years.
Most women when they reach such a great age as my grandmother wake up in the morning and reach for their teeth and glasses; but, no, not my grandmother. The first things she reached for were her lipstick and earrings. That was the essence of my grandmother through-and-through.
She grew up in the small village of Skinem, TN the fourth of six children of Julia and Ewin Towry. And being a middle child, my grandmother had her work cut out for her, but she made the best of it. Their days were filled with fun and laughter, from climbing grape vines and swinging out over the heights of Wells Hill falls, to the daily games of some-type-of ball, to the, as she and her sisters said, “Boring Sunday afternoon rides through Lincoln County.”
To say that my grandmother was competitive was an understatement. Her entire life she made everything she did an adventure and how best she could excel and win. So many things I could talk about, but here are a few. When she was in high school, she and Aunt Nita played basketball one year together. Grandmother expected Aunt Nita to always throw her the ball and when she did not, Aunt Nita got an earful. (This continued until the day Aunt Nita went home to God.) Another time, I can remember Grandmother telling that Aunt Nita had bought a new car. In those days you had a needle on the dashboard that showed how fast you were going. Knowing how grandmother was never one to shy away from a dare, Aunt Anita said, “Ruth I have not hidden the needle yet; I dare you to.” And guess what? She did. She had the car over 130 mph on the interstate. As she started up a hill, she decided to slow down. When she crested it, she met a group of State Troopers. Luckily, she had gotten it under 80. She never did that again.
She and her sisters, Nita and Patsy, continued their competitive camaraderie throughout their lives. They had the same dentist for years and would schedule their appointments to coincide. Patsy would drive going the back way because she did not like driving on Memorial Parkway. Aunt Cathy tells the story that their dentist told to her: “Anita, Ruth, and Patsy, the 3 sisters, all had the same dentist for years.  When Dr. Payer retired and Dr. Brown bought his practice, they began seeing her.  Dr. Brown always scheduled their cleanings and exams on the same day, blocking off the entire morning just for them. She said she had never met anyone like these ladies.  Together they were bigger than life and took over the entire office.  But what most impressed her was how competitive they were with one another.  If one had a cavity, the next wanted a crown, and then the next wanted a root canal.  And as luck would have it, all three kept their teeth!!”
In more recent times she taught her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to play ping pong and card games like Rook and Spades, as-well-as dominos. If you ever saw my grandmother play ping pong you were amazed. Once, in the only ping pong tournament she ever entered, she was the oldest contestant and the second oldest was 20 years her junior. Her grandsons Bart and Joe to whom she had taught the game also entered. I am not sure how many were in the tournament, but there were several. At the end, Grandmother was First, and Joe and Bart came in Second and Third. That tells how she would be determined, no matter what, to win.
One week before her death, she played ping pong again all-the-while instructing others how to best play in order to win. The staff at Bailey Manor provided the equipment for her to show her talent.
And, oh, to play cards with her. Aunt Nita, Aunt Patsy, Grandmother Ruth and I would play cards frequently when I came home. I would always be partners with Aunt Nita. I would try every way to set Grandmother out of the joy of seeing her figure a way to win even when Aunt Nita would park the Joker under her leg and pull it out in the end and set grandmother. And then of course grandmother would take it out on me…. But oh, what laughs we had.
Most importantly, Grandmother was a strong believer in God and instilled that in her Children, Grandchildren and Greats. She never lost a chance to talk to you about the good news of Christ, and the impact it had on all of us was profound. Looking back now, we have all been blessed to have had such a strong believer as my grandmother.
She had a lot of happiness in her life from meeting the man she was happily married to for 55 years my grandfather A. G. “Spud” Jennings, to her three children, Mary, George and Louis, 12 Grandchildren and her 19 Great-Grandchildren. She loved us all, and we loved her back. Even in these last years, all of her Great Grandchildren loved to go and see their “RURU” as she was known by the Greats.
Grandmother also had great sorrow in her life especially the loss of her two sons. Most people would have given in to such loss, but my grandmother always figured a way to move forward. These last years of her life have been the most challenging as her health began to decline and she got frustrated with not being able to get around as she did or remember as she did, but we still saw a twinkle in her eye when we would go to visit her.
But now as we say goodbye for the last time, I know that she has fought the fight and won the race. She has gone home to be with God, and she is now at that heavenly table with Pops, George, Louis, Ewin, Julia, Paul, Nita, Bill and J.E., and she will be there to welcome us all home one day. I look forward to that day when I too can be there with her and all our family.
Grandmother I love you and always will, I already miss you and our daily calls, and the unconditional love you showed me and all of us our entire lives. Thank you for being my grandmother and thank God for letting us have you for as long as we did.
And now I would like to end with this prayer.
Go forth from this world, O Christian soul: in the love of God the Father who created you, in the mercy of Jesus Christ who redeemed you, in the power of the Holy Spirit who strengthens you. May the heavenly host sustain you and the company of heaven enfold you. In communion with all the faithful, may you dwell this day in peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mary and all the family,

You are all on our hearts today and we are sending love and prayers for peace and comfort. It is so hard to say goodbye to someone who has been such a central part of your lives and such a contributor to every aspect of who you are. What an amazing woman and her influence will be with you always!
We are with you in spirit.

Much love,
Jill and Bill Speight

I’m so sorry for the loss of such a precious lady, she was always such a classy lady. I remember attending Camaro Church of Christ with her and the family. Prayers of comfort to all, I know she will be missed, but she’s at home with no pain with her loved ones. As the song goes “Walking the Streets of Gold”

I’m so blessed to have known Ruth, a Beautiful, Elegant, Expert Ping Pong Player, Christian Woman with a great knowledge of the Bible. I missed her after we moved. I’m confident that her family is missing her, but they are blessed to have precious memories of such a woman!

Your loss is Heaven’s gain! What a jewel RuRu was. I know you will miss her. May God comfort your hearts.

Fashion Corner was my go-to when Ruth and Anita ran it. We share a lot of laughs together. One day I went in and Ruth, Anita, and their sister, Patsy were playing cards on the balcony, singing to the top of their voices, and having a large time. They told me they did that often in their growing up years.

Take care, she’s up there singing and being RuRu! Loved her!

So sorry to hear of your family’s loss. Praying for comfort snd strength for the family

So sorry for your loss. May God comfort you all during this diffcult time. You all are in our thoughts & prayers. God Bless, Mary, Teresa Partin, Billy McGehee

Forever grateful to Mrs.Ruth for comforting Aunt Vera in Lincoln Manor one morning when she had had a stroke- she said ,”i think I did her some good” and I know she did- they were in quarantine but when we got to be with her that last couple of days Mrs Ruth was a comfort to us too – i know it was hard on her- was so glad she was her room- mate- prayers for the family ❤️