Ruth Virginia Cooper Stone

Ruth Virginia Stone passed away on the afternoon of October 9, 2025. Ruth was the daughter of John Dewey and Nellie Ruth Cooper, born on January 22, 1932, near Clinton, IL. Ruth and her two brothers, William and Arthur, grew up on a farm near Clinton.

Ruth graduated from Wapella High School, in Wapella, IL, with honors and majored in Home Economics at Illinois State Normal University, which is now Illinois State University. She was active in 4-H for 11 years. During the summer, between her Junior and Senior years at ISNU, she worked for the Logan County Extension as Youth and 4-H Assistant Advisor. Following her college graduation, she was employed by the university as a Home Advisor for Jasper County, IL.

Ruth married her sweetheart, Richard Edwin Stone, on May 8, 1955. During the time Dick was completing his college degree and beginning his career with J.C. Penney, Ruth taught Home Economics and Physical Education at Clinton High School, in Clinton, IL. Ruth and Dick moved to Independence, MO, in 1958. She served as Religious Director for First Christian Church and substituted for the Independence School District. The couple had two children, Elizabeth Ann and Scott Richard, and Ruth became a stay-at-home mom while they were young.

After their time in Independence, they moved to Oklahoma City, OK, followed by Ponca City, OK, Wichita, KS and finally back to Ponca City for retirement. Ruth moved to League City, TX, in 2019, to be close to her daughter and grandchildren after Dick passed away in 2014.

Ruth was a member of PEO, Chapter FC, in Ponca City, and Chapter HO in Wichita. She was a member of the Twentieth Century Club of Ponca City. She was an active member in all the churches where the family attended, serving as deacon, elder, teacher and active member of the Christian Women’s Fellowship. Ruth volunteered, for 11 years, at St. Francis Hospital and was active in the Auxiliary in Wichita. For several years she was a Docent for the Marland Mansion in Ponca City.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Nellie and Dewey Cooper; her brothers, Bill (Bea) and Art (Betty) Cooper; her loving husband, Dick Stone; and her son, Scott Stone. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Fuller; her grandson, Todd Fuller (Christina); granddaughters, Kara Addkison and Leah Jessup (Darren); and her great-grandchildren, Ava, Ali and Amy Fuller, Caden Reyna and Dylan Addkison, and Ella and Ruth Jessup.

Ruth was very strong in her faith in God, and she took comfort in daily devotions and reading scripture for as long as she was able. She was a people person and enjoyed talking to every new person who came along at church, in the neighborhood and at The Delaney at South Shore where she lived once moving to League City. She became a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, in Nassau Bay, TX. She also became a huge fan of the Houston Astros. We will miss her so very much.

We are so very grateful for the loving care from the staff of Magnolia Hospice Care and of Sitting Saints.

A private, family celebration of her life is being planned.

Donations in her memory may be given to:

*The Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Endowment Fund

18220 Upper Bay Rd

Houston, TX 77058

gdlc.org/give-now

Choose Endowment Fund in the drop-down menu; type Ruth Stone in the add memo line.

*The Tennyson Center for Children

2950 Tennyson St

Denver, CO 80212

tennysoncenter.org/donate/