Emma Ruth Briscoe Bly's Obituary
Emma Ruth Briscoe Bly, a woman of courage and compassion, passed away on February 22, 2014 in Houston, TX. She was born October 2, 1926 in Freeport, TX to Tennie Lee West Briscoe and Marion Fletcher Briscoe. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Daniel B. Bly, her father, mother, stepfather, sister Lois Jewel, her sister and best friend Eunice Ellen Newlin, Brother Marion Lee Briscoe, and two nieces Mary Jane Sparks and Barbara Ann Frank. She leaves her daughter, Linda Diana Bly, her daughter's boyfriend, Rick Nelson, two loving nieces and nephew, Virginia Lee Knapp, Betty Ruth Hodgett and Clyde Alfred Sparks and their families, brother-in-law Jack Newlin and sister-in-law Dora Briscoe. Ruth was a strong, tender hearted, loving woman. She was an excellent southern cook and an avid gardener, at one point enjoying growing over 75 rosebushes, along with the vegetable gardens she and D.B. always had and tending the oak trees he planted.
She was a child of the Depression and World War II. She grew up on her mother's and stepfather's farm, carrying water to the family and other workers in the cotton fields and then chopping and picking cotton herself when she was old enough. Typical to the era, they raised cattle and hogs, butchered and cured their own meat, and made their dresses from cotton feed sacks. They washed clothes using a "wringer" washer, canned and pickled the vegetables from their garden and welcomed other family members who, when down on their luck, would come to "Aunt Tennie's" for a long stay. In later years, when Ruth visited that four-room farmhouse, she was amazed at how small it was. She said it always seemed so large. The farm was behind the acreage owned by the family of her husband-to-be. Ruth and D.B. married when he returned from the War in 1945 and moved into his family's home, built in 1928, where she would make her home for 69 years. In 1949, they had their daughter and only child, Linda Diana. Life consisted of hard work, and a lot of laughter. In the middle of the hay field, building fence, shelling blackeyed peas, rebuilding an engine, working in the gardens, or any of the other ongoing chores, D.B. could always make Ruth and Linda laugh, usually by saying, "Let's take five minutes of country livin'", when they would take a break, get a cold drink and set in the swings under the back yard oak trees. D.B. never headed for the swing without calling his wife, "Babe, you comin' out?"
Every Spring for 8 years after D.B. retired, he would plow his fifty acres to put in hay. Early Spring could be cold, so several times a day, you could see Ruth heading across the field to where he was plowing, carrying a cup of hot coffee and some cookies. At night, Ruth would lie across their bed, working a crossword puzzle, and D.B. would set in the rocker in the bedroom, reading World War II history or his Bible, trading occasional comments. They were a team, whether they were working or raising their daughter. Ruth and Linda made a habit of shopping and lunch on Friday or Saturday, from the time Linda started work in her early 20's to shortly before her mother's illness, except for the period of her father's illness referred to below. They would go downtown to Foley's to a mall or favorite store or, in later years, just browse the local Wal-Mart or dollar stores. Her courage and resources were most tested when she cared for D.B. after his stroke in 2000 left him completely bedridden until his death in 2003. At her age of 74, she provided his total care at their home: bathing and feeding him and learning to use the medical equipment necessary to transfer him from his bed into his wheel chair.
Ruth and D.B. were not demonstrative people, but they exhibited their love in so many ways. Rather than verbalizing, they lived their love every hour of every day.
Ruth was a former member of Almeda Baptist Church, where she worked in the church nursery for over 30 years, enjoying seeing the next generation of the children she had helped care for return. She is a current member of the First Baptist Church of Fresno.
She loved her family, her Lord and her church family, decorating her home for holidays-- especially Easter and Christmas--and she loved and spoiled all her dogs and cats. Ruth was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister and aunt. I deeply loved and admired my mother and will miss her so very much. Her family wishes to thank all those who cared for her mother during her illness, especially Dr. Parul R. Shah and her nurse Edith Dorland, and the staff at the Houston Hospice, 1905 Holcombe Blvd. The visitation will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at SouthPark Funeral Home in Pearland. A service of remembrance will be held Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at 12:30 p.m. in the chapel of SouthPark Funeral Home. Interment to follow at SouthPark Cemetery. Anyone wishing to make donations in lieu of flowers could consider the Houston Hospice or to any animal related shelter (SPCA, CAPs, etc.) Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.southparkfunerals.com.
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