Ruth Smith

Ruth Elizabeth Smith, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, in Glenpool, Oklahoma, at the age of 84. Ruth was born on May 15, 1939, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Clarence and Grace Gelwick.

Ruth's journey began in Bartlesville, where she attended College High School and graduated in 1957. Following her education, she embarked on a career at Phillips, dedicating seven years to the company. In the early 1980s, Ruth pursued her passion for crafts and entrepreneurship, establishing her own ceramics shop called Ruthie's Clay House, operated from her garage. Later, she spent nine years at Walmart before retiring to care for her family and home, a role she cherished above all else.

On June 7, 1962, Ruth married the love of her life, Gary Smith, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at his grandmother's home. Together, they raised two daughters and a son, building a life filled with love and cherished memories in Sapulpa for over 30 years. Ruth and Gary shared 52 beautiful years of marriage until his passing in 2014.

Ruth's joyous spirit thrived in creative pursuits, from knitting and sewing to playing bingo and bunco. She found immense happiness in spending time with family and friends, particularly doting on her grandchildren and instilling in them a love for church. Her grandchildren knew when they came over to her house on the weekends to include their "Jesus clothes". Ruth was a dedicated volunteer at First Baptist Church in Sapulpa until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Grace Gelwick, her husband Gary L. Smith, and her sisters Norma McBride and Reva Marchant.

She is lovingly remembered and survived by her brothers John Gelwick and wife Coleen of Wichita, KS, and Duane Gelwick of Dewey, OK; sisters Jane Call and Doris Wight of Bartlesville, OK; daughters Suzan Hollis and husband James of Broken Arrow, OK, and LaDawn Shimp and husband John of Glenpool, OK; son Gary M. Smith of Broken Arrow, OK; sister-in-law Wilma Hart of Madison, AL; granddaughters Kristin Moore and husband Michael of Broken Arrow, OK, Rachel Smith of Tulsa, OK, Brooklynn Shimp of Glenpool, OK, Deann Smith of Broken Arrow, OK; grandsons Shane Hollis of Broken Arrow, OK, and James Shimp of Sapulpa, OK; five great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation for Ruth will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

A Celebration of Ruth's Life will take place at 1:00 PM on Monday, February 12, 2024, at Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church, located at 5111 Nowata Rd, Bartlesville, OK 74006.

Arrangements are entrusted to Schaudt's Glenpool-Bixby Funeral Service, where family and friends may leave kind words of comfort, share special memories, and offer condolences to the family online at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com.

Ruth Elizabeth Smith's legacy of love, kindness, and creativity will forever be treasured by those whose lives she touched. May she rest in eternal peace, her memory a beacon of light in the hearts of all who knew her.