Ada Ruth Elder
Ada Ruth (Woolsey) Elder, 89, of Gentry, died on January 16, 2021. She was born on October 28, 1931, to Charles Arthur and Cora Alma Woolsey while they were serving as missionaries in China. She graduated from Southern Adventist College with a bachelor’s degree.
Ada Ruth taught at Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry from 1953 to 1955 where she met the love of her life, Jack Elder. They were married by Jack’s brother, Elder William H. Elder, in Collegedale, TN, on August 28, 1955. Ada Ruth taught elementary school from 1961-1975. She was also active in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, teaching in the children’s department for many years. Ada Ruth was a real estate agent licensed in three states, assisting Jack at Tall Star Realty for more than 20 years.
Ada Ruth was very talented — she sewed, quilted, tatted, knitted, crocheted, did woodwork (from designing and building furniture to whittling chains), drew, painted, sculpted and more! There was no medium she couldn’t conquer! If Pinterest had been around in her day, she would have been a star.
She had so much knowledge — she could identify birds and star constellations, foods that could be foraged in the wild and so much more. She had an amazing green thumb — loved her greenhouse, had tons of house plants and a huge garden, canning and freezing food for the family. And she shared this information with those around her!
Ada Ruth loved animals — dogs, cats, horses, cows, goats — she was the consummate nurturer and they loved her back. She always had a smile on her face and a positive attitude! She had a fabulous sense of humor and enjoyed puns and tongue twisters. Ada Ruth was always looking for rocks with holes in them — the hole had to go all the way through — and she found MANY — all shapes and sizes, large holes, tiny holes, single holes and many holes.
Ada Ruth is survived by her loving husband, Jack Elder; daughters Rhonda (Michael) Tomlinson of Jacksonville, NC, Yvonne “Von” Elder of Gentry, AR; her brothers, Raymond Woolsey of Ooltewah, TN, and Clyde (Ellen) Woolsey of Blairsville, GA; and many nieces and nephews. She was loved and she will be missed.
Online condolences www.WestfieldChapel.com.
PAID OBITUARY