The brief piece below was read at Rutha Hollingsworth Fulbright’s funeral by the pastor in charge. It was copied by hand in Marion Hoblitt’s "Black Book", her notes on family history. It is from pages 53-56. There is no startling or new information in it. Its only significance is that it came from Marion’s book. I assume the attribution is correct. Since it was copied in half light as I talked with Marion, it may contain errors in transcription. If any, these will be few. I have made only limited corrections in the interest of making it easier to read. It was originally printed in the Fulbright Family E-Mail. People liked receiving it. For that reason, we include it in this edition of the newsletter.

(Taken from Marion Hoblit’s Black Ledger, pages 53 through 56.)

"Died April 30, 1874, Mrs. Ruth Fulbright.

"Such is the announcement which has already carried sorrow to many now living and long before it was made known below had been joyously received at the gates of the New Jerusalem where a companion here below for thirty years had been patiently waiting to enter the joy which there awaits the "pure in heart for they shall see God."

"Aunt Ruth was born in Hayward Co. N.C. 28th of Sept 1791 her maiden ame being Hollingsworth. She was married to William Fulbright about the year 1807 and moved to the territory of Missouri near the present town of Steelville in 1818 from thence they moved to Madison County Territory in 1823 moving back to Springfield in 1829 or 30 (when there were not over half a dozen white women in Southwest Missouri) since which time she has lived in this place. Born of Quaker parents she joined the Methodist Church in 1803 at the age of 12 of which she remained a consistent member until about 1834 when Father Hayden began to teach what was to her a new doctrine which caused her husband and herself to begin reading "Holy Writ" in order to refute the new doctrine. They became satisfied that immersion was the only true baptism but went to a minister of their own order H.T. Joplin who immersed them in the Sac river near the old Sims place. More reading and studying determined her to join the Christian Church which she did as I have reason to believe as soon as a congregation was formed here and her name was at the head of the list of members of that church in Springfield. After her husband’s death she occupied the old homestead where Fort No. 2 is situated until the war began when it was burned — since then she has lived with her children. She was the mother of thirteen children, twelve sons and one daughter, eight of whom are now living and were at the burial, the first time they have been all together since the war. The oldest of them Ephraim is sixty-six and the youngest, Daniel is forty-five. Confined to her room for more than six months over two of which she was entirely helpless the Christian spirit being cultivated suppressed every murmur and nothing but kind and cheerful words were ever uttered.

She was known and loved by all the old citizens. Few are now living where she first made her home here — and none have left a better name. Her epitaph was uttered more than eighteen hundred years when on the mount was spoken, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

"No finite mind can equal it. So with loving memories of the departed. . ."

For those of you who don’t know, Aunt Rutha or Ruthy or Ruthie (I have seen all three names.) was the wife of William Fulbright, one of the founders of Springfield, Missouri.

I believe Marion Hoblit’s "Black Book" is now in the History Museum of Springfield-Greene County.