Ruby Clydene Nelson was born on 24. Nov. 1920 at Bell County, Texas. She was the daughter of
Clyde Edward Nelson and
Eva Ouida Wood. Ruby Clydene Nelson died on 24. May. 1970 at McGregor, McLennan County, Texas, at age 49. A Wood Family's Branches and Twigs
Entries: 1512 Updated: Tue May 27 10:45:01 2003 Contact: Kathy
Fom a 1979 written account by Marjorie Nelson Woodham entitled "Memories":
Ruby Clydene Nelson-She was 5 ft 91/2 inches tall, weight about 350. Brown hair & eyes. Ruby had a gland trouble that cause her to be so large. Ruby did not marry, she said that anyone who wanted a fat woman that there was something wrong with him & she didn't want a man that something was wrong with him. When we were children at home we took our bath in the same tub of water in the kitchen by the old wood cook stove. Kathryn was first, Ruby second & I was the third one in thier left over bath water. The only time I got a seperate tub of water was when we caught the itch. We got a hot bath in lye soap water, a application of sulphur, greese & iodine and a clean gown, next morning a fresh bath in lye soap water, clean cloths and the same routeen that night. Ruby had her first stoke in 1969 and in March she was addmited to McGregor nursing home. She had one stroke after another and with diabeties she went blind. At the age of 49 1/2, May 24, 1970 she went to meet her maker. Her request was not to put Miss on her tomb stone, as she had not missed anything she thought was important, so her marker reads-Ruby C. Nelson."
Aunt Ruby as I remember her, was kind and gentle. She had a very generous heart. I remember the Luden's cherry cough drops she kept in her purse. I would beg to sit with Aunt Ruby during church and when mama would let me sit with her, Aunt Ruby would let me eat the whole box of cough drops. Mama would be furious after church and tell Aunt Ruby that she was letting me eat candy in church and Aunt Ruby would counter with, "No she wasn't that was cough drops, she didn't feel good." Then she would wink at me and would buy another box of cough drops. I would also beg to go to Aunt Ruby's house after church because she always cooked a roast on Sunday's. I remember walking in the house and smelling the roast cooking and my mouth watering. Aunt Ruby knew we always had tuna or potted meat sandwiches on Sunday and she would rescue me from them. I remember Aunt Ruby sewing and crocheting for added income. She always lived with my grandparents and in later years she must have drawn a disability check from Social Security. I remember people coming to her house for a fitting of clothes she had made. She often made me clothes, usually "Sunday" clothes. I found a crochet pattern that was hers and I remember her making many of these doilies, the pattern has written on there that she charged 50 cents for a white one and 75 cents for a colored one. Aunt Ruby used to take me the Dairy Queen in McGregor, we would each get an ice cream cone and she would set me on her large stomach and let me ''drive" back to Moody, then she would take an extra shot of insulin.
The Temple Daily Telegram, Temple, Texas, May 25, 1970
Miss Nelson
MOODY-Miss Ruby Nelson, 49, of Moody, died at 2:45 p.m. Sunday in a McGregor nursing home after a long illness. Funeral will be a 2 p.m. Monday at the Church of Christ in Moody, Minister Otta Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the Moody Cemetery.
Miss Nelson was born Nov. 24, 1920 in Moody and has lived there all her life. She was a member of the Church of Christ of Moody.
Surviving are her father, Clyde Nelson of Moody; a sister, Mrs. Pat Woodham of Moody; four nieces and one nephew. She was proceeded in death by her mother and a sister.
Body will be at the Hewett Funeral Home in Temple until 12:30 p.m. Monday.
Pallbearers will be Johnnie Herrinton, Marion Herrinton, Bill Thompson, Bill Coulter Marion Lightfoot and Garland Guyton.