Winifred “Ruth” Sneed, 86, passed away at her home in Carthage on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, following a short battle with cancer. Mrs. Sneed was born June 15, 1934, to Winifred B. and Esther Scott near Jasper, MO.
Ruth married her high school sweetheart, Edward Montee Sneed, on May 2, 1954 at the Jasper Methodist Church after he served in the U.S. Army. They had four children: Montee, Vicki, Michael, and Steven.
As their children were growing up, she was involved in their 4-H activities and taught Sunday school and Bible school at the Mt. Moriah Methodist Church where she was a member. Mrs. Sneed loved to learn, research, and share what she learned whether through teaching or writing.
After graduating from Jasper High School, she attended Kansas State Teachers College, now known as Pittsburg State University, and eventually received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in elementary education.
Ruth’s teaching career began in 1953 in the same rural school system she attended as a child. After the consolidation of Missouri’s rural school system, Ruth spent the next twenty-five years teaching sixth grade at Carthage R-9, then spent the next thirteen years as a substitute teacher.
During the summers and after her retirement, she kept busy canning and freezing the produce from Ed’s garden and orchard, researching her family’s genealogy and authoring several books about her ancestors and present family. Several of her works are viewable at www.ruthsneed.com.
She started her genealogy research in 1967 and proved her lineage included 12 patriots of the American Revolution. An active member of the Carthage Rhoda Fairchild Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she spent several years as Registrar helping prospective members in genealogy research about their ancestors.
Ruth was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, Missouri State Teacher’s Association, and the Missouri Retired Teachers’ Association.
Ruth recently wrote: “Things I love (other than the obvious ones of family . . .) include beautiful things, wonderful aromas, springtime, open windows, the smell of fresh-baked bread, beautiful flowers, reading good books, sewing, writing stories of my ancestors, and occasionally finding more of my lineage.”
She is survived by her husband, Edward Sneed of Carthage; her children and their spouses, Montee and Anne Sneed of Columbia, TN; Brent and Vicki Hillsman of Schell City, MO; Michael Sneed of Carthage, Steven and Karen Sneed of Norman, OK; her grandchildren and their spouses, Alice and Andrew Miller of Hoover, AL, Tyler and Lori Hillsman of Kansas City, MO, Matthew Hillsman of Kansas City, MO, Cameron Thompson of Norman, OK and Cayton Thompson of Norman, OK; Ruth’s great-grandchildren, Ellie and Arlo Hillsman of Kansas City, MO, Sadie Ruth, Molly, and Eliza Miller of Hoover, AL and Patrick Sneed of Columbia, TN.
She is also survived by her two sisters, Avanell Griggs of Jasper, MO and Lynn and Dick Stoddard of Panama City Beach, FL
Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at Ulmer Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 2020, at Ulmer Funeral Home. Burial will be at Park Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mt. Moriah Methodist Church,15506 Nutmeg Rd, Carthage, MO 64836.
Online condolences may be made at www.ulmerfh.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Ulmer Funeral Home.
