Ruth Snow McKinney, 97, of Fayetteville, passed away February 27, 2023 in Springdale. She was born August 9, 1925 to Andrew J. and Constance A. Snow in Pittsburgh, PA.
She lived in Pittsburgh for five years, one year in Baltimore, MD, then Washington, DC until marriage. Ruth graduated from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC and Penn Hall Jr. College in Chambersburg, PA with an AA in merchandising. She worked two years for her mothers’ Snow Concert Bureau.
Ruth married Walter H. McKinney Jr, June 10, 1947, at Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church, Washington, DC where she sang in the choir. They lived in Auburn, AL and Ann Arbor, MI while Walter attended college. She had a Girl Scout troop of twenty-three girls. They lived a short-time in Birmingham, MI, then Stamford, Fairfield and Easton, CT. While in Connecticut she was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, choir member, church deaconess, other church boards and offices, president of Easton PHNA, library volunteer, and treasurer of Junior League of Bridgeport, CT. Next, to St. Petersburg Beach, FL, a volunteer bookbinder at St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, also Jr League Thrift Shop. Two years in Birmingham, AL, one year in Newington, CT, then Dallas, TX and a volunteer at Dallas Theatre Center on speakers bureau and marketing. Moved to Boise, ID, emergency room volunteer at St Alphonsus Hospital (also at Central District Health Clinic).
After Walter retired, they moved to Garden Valley, ID in the mountains. She became a member of Syringa Club, G.F.W.C. in “Arts in the School Chairman”. She volunteered at the library and health clinic. Moved to Fayetteville, AR in 1990. She joined Welcome Wagon (Newcomers) past 1st VP and president. A member of Rural Builders of Son’s Chapel, past president and building chairman and quilter. A member of Flaming Hills Garden Club and Sequoyah Methodist Church.
Ruth enjoyed sewing, knitting, rug hooking, gardening, and gourmet cooking.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Walter McKinney, Jr; her parents; a sister; a brother; a daughter; and a son.
Ruth is survived by two grandsons; one great-grandson; and one great-granddaughter.
A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 AM Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at Sequoyah United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Sequoyah United Methodist Church , 1910 Old Wire Rd, Fayetteville, AR 72703, The Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Dr, Ste 100, Arlington, VA 22203 or the Botanical Gardens Society of the Ozarks, Inc, Fayetteville, AR72703.
Cremation arrangements by Beard’s Funeral Chapel.
Ruth survived them all. This is sad day for me. I met Chuck her son years ago. He was living in Idaho and was doing Christmas displays in windows/did a video of them. I sold him one of my works of art. Speaking of works of art, Ruth loved art work and she showed me her John Hare original watercolors. Great stuff. I lived in the apartment building next to hers and would go over and have a bite to eat and talk about Walter and food and art. And her many adventures in other countries.
I loved Clyde he was my guy/her westie…it wall was going good until one day. I told Ruth I will see around 12, well I didn’t. And when I got there @ 1215 or 1220 she was furious…said she didn’t want to see me again. And that was the last time I saw her.
Just a bad way to end it. But oh the good times we had. RIP lovely lady
Ruth was a lovely loving lady whom I came to adore. She sat behind me at church and we only quit talking when the music started! She spent the last part of her life in an Independent Living facility where I also lived and we visited almost every day. She had many stories to tell and I delighted in them! I was with her toward the end and felt very blessed to sing some hymns to her; when I would stop she would moan, so I know she heard me and I felt very blessed to be able to soothe her a bit and I feel fortunate to have gotten to know her so well. She was loving and caring and sharp as a tack to the very end. I will always remember her saying, “I didn’t get this old without knowing a lot!”