b. February 14, 1933

by Sara Elizabeth Harding Palmer, Assistant to the Rector, Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church, High Point, 2015

Ruth Purser has been a great blessing to me since I arrived at Saint Mary’s. She unhesitatingly and immediately offered me her warm and wonderful hospitality, including overnight stays when I needed to work late. Because I live an hour away from Saint Mary’s, this was a real gift. Ruth has cooked numerous delicious meals and made me several birthday cakes. She is a superb cook and even had her own cooking show when she lived in Perry, Georgia.

Ruth was born in Henrietta, NC, in 1933, one of three daughters of Aaron Watson Lynch, a Methodist Minister, and Mary Martin. She graduated from Greensboro College, and married a University of Alabama graduate, William Purser. Ruth became a teacher and taught in Winston-Salem, Fort Valley and Perry, Georgia. She was an interim and substitute teacher for children with learning disabilities at the Piedmont School in High Point, which was originally housed at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church. Ruth has three sons and four grandchildren. She has faithfully served her church in several capacities, including leading the youth group for six years with her husband Bill.

Ruth is gifted with strong organizational capabilities. She helped found the Matthew 25:40 Outreach committee at Saint Mary’s, which continues to raise awareness of community needs and helps meet them. In 1990 she chaired the 100th Anniversary celebration of Saint Mary’s and invited the Presiding Bishop of the USA to be the main speaker – a real coup! A history of Saint Mary’s was written for this occasion. The youth buried a time capsule at that time after the cornerstone was opened. Ruth was specially invited in 2014 when the time capsule was unearthed and moved, as work began on the new Christian Education Building.

Ruth has been committed to serving the communities in which she has lived. She was President of the Junior Women’s Club of Fort Valley, Georgia, and district winner of the Irene Watts’ award. Her Junior Women’s Club won the Outstanding Club in the state. In High Point Ruth served on the Urban Ministry Board and the family selection committee of Habitat for Humanity. For the Piedmont School she was on the Board of Trustees, Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee, and Secretary of the Executive Board from 2002 until 2005. Ruth’s beautiful, creative scrapbooks for every year that the Piedmont School has been in existence are a treasure for the children and staff.

Ruth loves life in all its variety. In Perry, Georgia, she was President of the Perry Art Club, a member of the Gourmet Club, and President of the Oak Hollow Square Dance Club. Ruth’s wonderful sense of humor has carried her through several major health problems in the past two years. We were so proud of Ruth for winning the Governor of North Carolina’s Volunteer of the Year award in 2012. How I thank God for the opportunity to tell the wonderful story of this lady who has made such a difference, and brought joy to so many, including myself.