Ruth Suggs Jenkins, age 94, died on May 10, 2014, at Tryon Estates in Columbus, NC. Born in Gaston County, NC, on March 12, 1920, she was the youngest child of Bessie Yount Suggs and Arthur Milton Suggs. She enjoyed 56 years of marriage to Louis Wesley Jenkins, who died in 1997. A graduate of Appalachian State Teachers College in 1940, and a member of the teachers’ honorary society Delta Kappa Gamma since 1965, she taught elementary school in Cabarrus County, NC, where she lived for more than 50 years. A lifelong Methodist, she was an active member of Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church and later Epworth United Methodist Church, both in Concord, NC, and served in numerous capacities as a church leader. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels for many years and received a Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. Ruth enjoyed hiking, camping, and gardening and passed her love of nature on to her family. She was an enthusiastic opponent on the tennis court, playing the game into her eighties. As a lover of classical music and opera, she conveyed to her family a respect for the sanctity of Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera. Into her nineties, she continued to sing and play on the piano bought for her when she was twelve years old. Ruth is survived by her four daughters Elaine Jenkins (Bruce Fritz) of Tryon, NC; Karen Jenkins Crutchfield (Charles) of Oklahoma City, OK; Wanda Jenkins (William Mills) of Concord, NC; and Dawn Jenkins Klus (John) of Lexington, KY. She will also be greatly missed by her eight surviving grandchildren: Kevin Walker, Laura Walker, Jeff Walker, Melissa Crutchfield, Blair Richey, Taylor Richey, Nick Klus, and Jesse Klus; and her four great-grandchildren. Grandson Scott Crutchfield predeceased her. She moved to Columbus, NC, in December 2000. The family is grateful for the loving care of the Tryon Estates staff and companion Liz Wahl. A memorial service to celebrate her life will take place in the Tryon Estates auditorium on Thursday, May 15, 2014, at 11 a.m. A graveside service will be held in Concord, NC, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087; or to Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, 130 Forest Glen Drive, Columbus, NC 28722.