“It’s all for one and all for one,” Talburt said last year when speaking of her fellow members - the “sisters” in Beta Alpha.
That sentiment sums up Ruth Talburt, know by many in town as “Mrs. Ruthie.” Talburt, 88, died Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
Just last year, Mrs. Ruthie said of the young adults in town: “These are all my kids.”
Although she didn’t have children of her own, Mrs. Ruthie loved the children of Pea Ridge and dedicated her time to serving them and the community.
For years she helped coordinate a cooperative effort with the Pea Ridge Fire/Ambulance Departments educating children at the school about emergencies.
“She would go down and hand out literature and teach children how to dial 911,” Bob Kitterman, former director of the ambulance service and nephew-in-law to Mrs. Ruthie.
“Aunt Ruthie was a major contributor to the education of children in the school about fire safety ... because she didn’t have children, she worked with the children in the school environment to do things for them.”
Despite her age, she appeared to work tirelessly until slowedby a broken hip a few years ago.
Then, she still worked, just slower, Kitterman said.
A life active member of Beta Alpha Sorority, Mrs. Ruthie was a familiar figure in town. During the annual summer fair, she could usually be found at the corner of Pickens and North Curtis Avenue handing out bottles of cold water.
Not much taller than the children at the Easter egg hunt, Mrs. Ruthie stood by, supported by a walker the last few years, watching the children scurry for the eggs and then handing out prized Easter egg baskets.
“My first memory of her was sitting on the street corner as we collected donations for St. Judes,”Karen Kitterman, Beta Alpha president, said. “Ruthie loved this community and giving back to it was a joy for her.”
“She knew everyone and everyone knew her. Being knew to Pea Ridge, I thoughtwhat an amazing impact on the community she must have had to know virtually everyone. Over the past fewyears, I have gotten to see firsthand how much she did from behind the scenes to being the face every one recognized,” Karen Kitterman said.
Mrs. Ruthie was always in the middle of sorority-sponsored events like the Easter egg hunt, serving cookies at the Pea Ridge High School baccalaureate, the Pea Ridge Fair, the Miss Pea Ridge pageant and the Tiny Tot pageants, the Thanksgiving dinner for seniors and the Christmas parade.
Although not a charter member of the club in Pea Ridge chartered in 1964, Mrs. Ruthie joined in 1977 and was a life active member. She was awarded many honors over the years including the Golden Lamp in 2007-2008. She was “girl of the year” one year on the state level.
“If you build it, they will come,” Talburt said last year of the Christmas parade. “I decided totry to build it. “Erwins came with three big trucks ... that was sometime in the mid-’90s.”
Interviewed last year about Beta Alpha’s contribution to the community, Talburt said theybegan the Easter egg hunt about 20 years ago.
“We wanted to have something for the kids.”
Former mayor Mary Durand said: “I considered her an institution in Pea Ridge, someone the town could always rely on for service for whatever was needed.
She will be remembered for generations to come for her commitment and generosity and service to the city of Pea Ridge.”
Mayor Jackie Crabtree said: “She’s done so much and been a part of so many things ... I don’t know how you could gauge her contribution, it was incredible ... she will be missed. She’s one of our energizer ladies, she just kept going and going and going.
She always made sure she got the project done.”
“I will forever miss being able to give Mrs. Ruthie her hugs,” Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said. “She was the most diligent lady at the fair.”
Editor’s note: Ruth Talburt’s obituary is on page 3A of this week’s edition of The Times.
News, Pages 1 on 12/28/2011