Obit – Mrs. Ruth Denney
A Longtime Carthage resident, Mrs. Ruth Denney, of Lewisburg, died at 3:09 p.m. Wednesday afternoon September 23, 2020 at the Village Manor Health Care Center in Lewisburg under the care of Willowbrook Hospice. Mrs. Denney was 96.
Bro. Tim Frank, Mrs. Denney’s pastor, officiated at the 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon September 27th graveside services from the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon. Burial followed beside her husband in the Denney family lot.
She was one of three daughters and was born Ruth Douglas Gregory on Bowmans Branch in the Riddleton Community on March 31, 1924 and was the daughter of Wade Gregory who died at the age of 44 on May 4, 1925 and Bertha Alice Reed Gregory who died at the age of 93 on October 3, 1981.
Two sisters preceded her in death, Theda Belle Gregory who died March 3, 1918 at the age of 21 days and Lula Mai Gregory Maggart who died at the age of 92 on July 13, 1998.
She was a 1941 graduate of Smith County High School and was Salutatorian of her graduating class with a 95.81 average.
Mrs. Denney was a member of the Allen Society, took home economics and was treasurer her sophomore year, member of the Library Club and a library assistant, member of the Glee and English clubs, winner of the humorous reading contest her freshman year and winner of the dramatic reading contest her sophomore year, member of the pep club, secretary of home room her junior year and home room president her senior year, co-editor “The Owl” and a member of the student council both her senior year.
The senior year book had this saying of her, “She that was ever fair and never proud, had tongue at will, and yet was never loud.”
Mrs. Denney was united in marriage to William Martin Denney on January 27, 1946 and he preceded her in death on March 9, 1954 at the age of 30. He suffered a fatal heart attack while on his tractor plowing on their Hiwassie Community farm.
Mrs. Denney was a faithful and dedicated member of the Carthage First Baptist Church before moving to be with her daughter and son-in-law in Lewisburg in November of 2016. She had been a member for over eight five years since June of 1935. At the time of her death she was the oldest living member.
She began employment in 1953 as an accountant for the Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation in Carthage and retired on October 31, 1989 with thirty six years of service.
Surviving is her daughter, Janie Denney Kirby and husband Sammy Porter Kirby of Lewisburg; son, William Edward “Bill” Denny of Acworth, Georgia; five grandchildren, Tony Kirby and wife Judi, Todd Kirby and wife Dawn all of Lewisburg, Chad Kirby and wife Kellee of Thompson Station, Jeff Denney and wife Amanda, Kim Denney Jameson and husband Robert all of Marietta, Georgia; eleven great-grandchildren, Zach and wife Bailey, Ryan, Aden, Max, Macyn, Mackenzee, and Jace Kirby, Bennett and Olivia Denney, Harper and Cecilia Jameson.
The Denney family has requested memorials to the Carthage First Baptist Church.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
