Born to in Douglas County Ruby Thelma Dalton was born to J.K. and Margaret M. Dalton on Oct. 5, 1908, at Johns Mill, Mo., in Douglas County. She departed this life on Oct. 4, 2006, at the age of 97, at Christian Health Care in Nixa where she had resided the past two years.
On June 10, 1925, Ruby was united in marriage to Albert E. Swearengin and to this union seven children were born. She lived most of her life in the Fordland area.
She was converted at an early age and sanctified in a revival at Elkhead, conducted by Rev. Gene Cowan and Oscar Rogers. Ruby was a member of the Church of God (Holiness) at Fordland and was faithful in attendance until her health failed.
She was preceded in death by her husband, in 1942, her eldest son, Clifford, in 2005, and a son-in-law, Gene Watson, in 2006.
Ruby is survived by four sons, Bill and Faye, of Ozark, Howard and Carole, of Wheatland, Darrell and Bonnie, of Rogersville, and Freddie and Bobbi, of Springfield; two daughters, Mary and Virgil Swearengin, of Rogersville, and Alberta Watson, of Sharpsburg, Ga.; a daughter-in-law, Carlene Swearengin, Haysville, Kan.; 21 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; 30 great-great-grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren; and 21 step-great-grandchildren.
Services were at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, at the Harvest Community Church of the Nazarene at Rogersville with burial in the Union Chapel Cemetery at Fordland.
Services were under the direction of Preston-Marsh Funeral Home.
The family requests that memorials be made to the Mt. Zion Bible School of Ava.
