Obituaries

Ruth Elaine Vickers

Photo of Ruth Elaine Vickers
Ruth Elaine Petway Vickers passed away peacefully; surrounded by family on February 3, 2015 at the age of 85 in Fayetteville, Ark. Mrs. Vickers was born and grew up in Warren, Ark., and lived near Batesville, Ark., for much of her adult life. She has resided at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville, Ark., for the last several years. Mrs. Vickers was a force for positive change in the world, advocating for acceptance and inclusion in every sphere of her life. Her extensive family and friends were an essential part of her life. She was a guidance counselor in the Batesville and Newark, Ark., public schools for over 20 years, an active member of her church, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. To her family, she was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother; to her students, a patient and caring guidance counselor; and to the organizations she supported with her time and money, a quiet helping hand. She was always thankful for her life's many blessings and even in the face of infirmities, met each day with a new list of things to do and places to go. She was intellectual and fun-loving. Her Christian faith comforted her and guided her in all she did, as did her commitment to social justice and equality. She was preceded in death by her parents Oren Winston Petway and Frances Eugenia Martin Petway, a sister who passed away at birth, and George Thomas Vickers, her husband of 51 years. She is survived by three children, Winston and Kenneth Vickers and Elaine Hardwick; their spouses, Susan, Anna and Alan; ten grandchildren, Dianna (Philippe), Scott (Mary), Alice (AJ), John (Melissa), Rebekah (Ben), Sarah, Leah, Matthew, Christopher and Stephanie; and four great grandchildren, Amelie, Lynnea, Ella and Joshua. A visitation will be held in Fayetteville, Ark., at Nelson-Berna funeral home on Friday, February 6 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; a funeral and graveside service will be held at the Union Hill Baptist Church and Cemetery near Ingalls, Ark., at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 8, 2015 under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville (kenvickers54@gmail.com). In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Heifer International (heifer.org), the Fayetteville Public Library (faylib.org), or the Union Hill Cemetery (via Mrs. Joyce Vickers, 119 Bradley 53, Hermitage, Ark. 71647). To sign the online guest book, please visit www.nelsonberna.com.

Published February 7, 2015

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