Mrs. Annie Ruth Sheppard Adams was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, neighbor, and friend to all who knew her.

She was born on October 2, 1932 in Marshall, Texas to Azzie and Annie Mae Sheppard.  She was the oldest of eleven children.  She united with St. John Missionary Baptist Church at an early age under the leadership of the late Rev. E. B. Humble. She was a 1951 graduate of H. B. Pemberton High School, where she also played basketball.  On July 15, 1951, she united in holy matrimony with Oscar Adams and to this union five children were born.  Mother Ruth enjoyed cooking, caring for her family, watching basketball on TV, going to church, singing in the choir and being a mission sister.  She was employed at Monarch Tile for over 22 years along with other factory jobs.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Oscar Adams, Sr.; two sons, Clarence and Oscar Adams; two sisters, Bert Marshall and Betty Fletcher; one brother, Raymond Sheppard.

Mother Ruth Adams is survived by her three daughters, Mary Adams, Shirley (James) Lane, Dianne (Claude) Gray, all of Marshall, Texas; one brother, Azzie (Elnita) Sheppard; six sisters, Oreatha Brown, Bobbie Jean Marshall, Frances (Herman) Buford, Venola Sheppard, Debra (Leonard) Hall, Provella Griffin; two sisters-in-law, Minnie and Dorothy; one uncle, Rev. Paul Aaron; one aunt, Gladys Green; eleven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends; special phone friends, Lula Mae Whitfield of California, Lola Smith, Evelyn Howard, Faye Marshall, the late Ruby Bell and Gracie Henderson, and special neighbor/mail carrier Charles Williams.