Ruth Dunn Batson

Ruth Dunn Batson, 87, died Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at her home in Greensboro. Born in Hancock County on April 21, 1924 she was the daughter of the late Lester Lacey Dunn and Annie Belle Gill Dunn. She attended school in Culverton and in Sparta where she graduated from Sparta High School in the class of 1943. She worked for Southern Bell Telephone Company in Macon until her marriage to Glenn Wesley Batson, from the Veazey Community of Greene County, on March 27, 1944. They lived there until they moved to Greensboro in December of 1966. She became a member of Culverton Baptist Church at the age of twelve and later moved her membership to Sparta First Baptist Church where she was an active member of Sunday School, BYPU and the sanctuary choir. After her marriage to Glenn, she joined Enon Baptist Church where she began teaching children and was active in other ministries of the church including VBS and helping to begin Training Union. Economic changes required the young people and many families to leave the rural communities and that had a great impact on the rural churches. When the Enon Baptist Church membership was moved to Siloam Baptist Church, the Batson family moved their memberships to Greensboro First Baptist Church where she was a member of the sanctuary choir and WMU. She taught in the Junior Department of Sunday school and Training Union a number of years before teaching in the Adult Department of Sunday School until the time of her death when she was teaching the Amicus Sunday School Class. In all she taught Sunday School for more than sixty-six years. In 2007 she wrote "God Reigns and Rules in Love" and donated all of the proceeds to the First Baptist Church of Greensboro. She said, "The writing was based totally on God''s Holy Word. It was written in my humble and feeble way, as best I see and understand it, to lift up and honor God and for the spiritual edification of whoever may read it." She was a devoted Christian and enjoyed doing for others and working in her yard.

She and Glenn were married for 54 years when he died on May 21, 1998. She was a homemaker, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. In 1957 she became a Master Cosmetologist and worked in Myrtle''s Beauty Shop and the Elite Beauty Salon before opening her own Beauty Shop in 1980 where she remained active until her death.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Glenn Wesley Batson, Sr. on May 21, 1998, two sisters, Dorene Dunn and Nell Walke; and a brother, Horace Dunn. She is survived by their two sons, Gary Batson and wife Donna of Columbus, GA and Glenn Wesley Batson, Jr. of Greensboro, GA; a sister, Bernice Gayle Dunn Moon of Greensboro, GA; five grandchildren, John Matthew Welte and wife Jennifer, Audrey Simmons, Leslie Hood and husband Steve, Kristie Ward and husband Shaun and John Patrick Batson; six great grandchildren, Savannah Welte, Mason Welte, Haley Hood, Landon Hood, Tristan Ward and Bailey Ward; and a large number of other relatives and a host of very dear friends.

Graveside Services will be held Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at Greenview Cemetery, Memorial Drive, Greensboro, GA with Rev. Rick Hermann officiating. Serving as pallbearers are Doug Askew, Bob Voyles, Ray Marchman, Alvin Dowdy, Paul Abernathy and Ken Keely. The family will receive friends Friday night from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at McCommons Funeral Home. The family request that any memorials be made to First Baptist Church, 203 S. Main Street, Greensboro, GA 30642. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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