Published: June 30, 2009 07:41 pm      

Ruth Laird Livingston

GULFPORT, MS — Ruth Laird Livingston, 83, passed away Sunday, June 28, 2009, in Gulfport.

Mrs. Livingston was a teacher, school secretary and devoted mother.

She was born and raised in Decatur, Miss. Following her graduation from East Central Junior College in Decatur, she moved to Carson, Miss. to teach school. She met and married a returning war veteran, Earl Livingston. She left her teaching career when she became a mother. She later returned to be employed as a school secretary, working her way up to be the administrative assistant to the superintendent of the Gulfport School System.

Ruth was a Christian and a charter member of Bayou View Baptist Church in Gulfport. She lived and raised her daughters in the Bayou View community of Gulfport. She later married Larnis “Stan” Stansel with whom she traveled extensively.

Her family would like to thank the staff at A Connected Heart, her assisted living home and the staff of Gulf Coast Hospice who lovingly cared for her during her final days. The family would also like to thank her long time doctor, Dr. Lynn Leatherwood for his special care.

She was preceded in death by: her parents, William and Alma Chaney Laird; five siblings; a daughter, Cheryl Livingston; and her two husbands, Earl Livingston, and Larnis Stansel.

Mrs. Livingston is survived by: her daughters, Judy Wentworth, of Gulfport, Joyce King of Gulfport, Marilyn Gouguet, and her husband Wayne, of Picayune, and Melinda Trawick, and her husband, Tim, of Magnolia, Texas; ten grandchildren, Jennifer (Joel) Carter, Todd (Audra) Wentworth, Julie (Jeffrey) Kline, Justin King, Seth Gouguet, Nolan Gouguet, Matthew Trawick, Joel Trawick, Taylor Trawick, and William Trawick; and eleven great-grandchildren, Timothy, Alyssa, Breyanna, Brandon, Thomas, and Erin Kline, Garrett, Georgia and Joel Carter, Braelyn Wentworth, and Kory Redmond; and other family, Allan “Pete” Wentworth and Mike King,

She was preceded in death by: her parents, William and Alma Chaney Laird; five siblings; a daughter, Cheryl Livingston; and her two husbands, Earl Livingston, and Larnis Stansel.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be made to The Alzheimer’s Association or in memory of her special dog “Callie”, memorials may be sent to the HSSM, 2615 Hwy 49, Gulfport, MS 39501.

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 10 a.m. at Handsboro Presbyterian Church in Gulfport. Visitation will be one hour prior to service. Interment will follow at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens, Gulfport.

The Riemann Family Funeral Home, Gulfport, is in charge of arrangements and an online guestbook may be signed at www.riemannfamily.com.