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Ruth Epperson Sligh, 92, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends on Sunday, June 21, 2015 at Wood Presbyterian Home in Sweetwater, TN. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2015 at the Brown-Pennington-Atkins Chapel. The Rev. Charles Roberts will officiate and the burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the funeral home. Ruth was born in Moline, IL on June 26, 1922 to Charles and Lida Montgomery Epperson. Surviving her are her three children, Susanne (John) Mortimer of Sweetwater, TN, Howard Smith of Troy, SC and Ken (Jean) Smith of Due West, SC; two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her oldest son, Earl D. Smith Jr., and her sister, Marion Brumley. Ruth married Earl Dwayne Smith, “Smitty” in 1942 in Long Beach, CA. After WWII, Ruth and Smitty took a trip up the Al-Can Highway to Alaska with their two young children. They both fell in love with the Alaska wilderness and Smitty took a job managing hotels along the Alaska Railroad. Eight years, many adventures and two more children later, Ruth and Smitty moved back to the states to a small farm in Lewistown, IL. Ruth loved life on the farm and lived there until the children were grown. Ruth lost her husband, Smitty in 1973 after a motorcycle accident claimed his life. She remained on the farm for several years, continuing her education and her love of painting. She eventually decided to move to Hartsville, SC to be closer to her children and two young grandchildren. Not long after moving to Hartsville, Ruth, always the avid outdoorsman, began putting feelers out for someone to show her the good fishing spots in the area. Through this process, she was introduced to Cecil Sligh, a Hartsville native and incredibly kind, gentle man. The two shared some fishing trips and their relationship quickly developed into something more. Ruth and Cecil married in 1984 and spent many years together, enjoying travel and adventures. During this time, Ruth and Cecil were active members at First Baptist Church in Hartsville, SC and Ruth was also an active member of the D.A.R. These were the happiest years of Ruth’s life and Cecil was a wonderful husband. He passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease in 2012 and Ruth made the difficult decision to sell her beloved home in Hartsville and move to Sweetwater, TN to be near her daughter and grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations to “Smile Train” (smiletrain.org) are encouraged. This is an international children’s charity that provides free cleft palate and lip surgery to children in 87 developing countries. Ruth supported this charity for years and it was very dear to her heart.

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Mrs. Ruth Epperson Sligh

June 26, 1922 - June 21, 2015