Funeral services for Winnie Ruth Waddell Stallings, 92, are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Hillside Memorial Chapel with Pastor Wayne Fowler officiating.
Mrs. Stallings also known as "Granny" went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, March 11, 2020, surrounded by her family.
Born Sept. 21, 1927, in Clarkesville, Ruth was raised in Habersham County. She was a daughter of the late Ellis and Hattie Nicholson Waddell. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Stallings; daughter, Lynn Turpin-Nichols; and brothers, Willie Jay, Charles, Curtis (O'Neal), and Jerry.
Ruth graduated from Clarkesville High School on May 21, 1945. Shortly after graduating, she went to work for Standard Telephone Company in Cornelia. Ruth was working the night STC caught fire and is listed in their history book. Her gift of talking and never meeting a stranger made her love of working for the phone company blossom.
In 1948, Ruth made the move to Atlanta to work for Southern Bell Telephone, where in 1952, she met her husband, Bobby while assisting him over the phone. They were married on Jan. 1, 1953. During the early years of Ruth and Bobby's marriage, they were transferred to various places over the Southeast before returning to the hills of Habersham in 1967.
Over the years, Ruth has enjoyed working at various places that gave her the opportunity and pleasure of meeting, greeting, and mentoring to so many. Some of those places include Orkin, K-Mart, The Training Center (for handicapped children), substitute teaching for Habersham County School System, Belk, and being an owner/operator of a freight business. Ruth was a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Hollywood and was also the former secretary for the Turnerville Homemaker's Club.
Ruth is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Bill and Barbara Stallings of Burlington, Kentucky, and Jerry and Judy Stallings of Clarkesville; daughter and son-in-law, Leigh and Ronald Wood of Clarkesville; special non-biological daughter, Tammy Shirley-Vashakidze and husband, David of Suwanee; grandchildren, Greg Trego (Rachel), Melissa Brooks, Buffy Carpenter, Michelle Taylor, Deanna Mote (Casey), Amy Wright (Matt), Krista Little (Jason), Crystal Corbin (Adam), Alexandria Louttit (Will), Bobby Stallings, and Louie Wood; great-grandchildren, Abby Morman, Atlantis Morman, Lindsey Morman, Madelyn LaCount, Katie Leal, Brandon Copeland, Bailey Carpenter, Hannah Carpenter, Zachery Taylor, Brodie Mote, CJ Mote, Chase Wright, Ella Wright, Darien Little, Maraya Little, Izabella Corbin, Carter Corbin, and MacKenzie Corbin; sisters, Evelyn Meeks of Baldwin, and Lois Ward (Phil) of Rome; sisters-in-law, Jackie Waddell of Georgetown, and Glenda Waddell of Newnan; brother-in-law, Lloyd (Lota) McCall of Summerville, South Carolina; and sister-in-law, Bettye Simpson of Roanoke, Virginia. Ruth was also blessed to have a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins throughout the United States that have been a part of her life, as well as wonderful caregivers in her last days, Katie, Bobbie, Ginny, Maria, and Amy with Pruitt Hospice.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 4 until 8 p.m. Friday, March 13.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Ruth's memory to one of the following: United Methodist Children's Home, 1967 Lakeside Parkway, Suite 400, Tucker, GA 30084, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 3395 Northeast Expressway, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30341.
An online guest book is available at HillsideMemorialChapel.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville.