Mary Ruth Fly

Mrs. Mary Ruth Fite Fly, age 94, a life long resident of the Sawdust Community, passed away on Saturday morning, October 15, at her residence. Born in Maury County on May 11, 1917, she was the daughter of the late John Burton Fite and Mabel Jones Fite and wife of the late Jasper E. Fly.

Survivors include her sons: Claude Fly Susan of Sawdust, Frank Fly Suzanne of Murfreesboro, Mark Fly of Oak Ridge and Joe Fly of Sawdust; her grandchildren: Randy Fly, Pat Fly Kaiser, Sarah Fly, Nathaniel Fly, Jill Johnson, Bryce Fly, Austin Fly, Tiffany Fly and Nicholas Fly; great-grandchildren: Brandi Fly Johnson, Casey Fly Scott and Patrick Fly; great-great-grandchildren: Gavin Johnson, Carter Johnson, Chasity Fly, Addison Walker, Bryson Walker and Dakoda Walker; beloved sister-in-law, Lottie Fite of Marianna, FL; beloved nieces: Judy Baker Fleming of Franklin and Donna Fite Moore of Marianna, FL along with several beloved nephews. In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Fly was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Pattie Ruth Fly.

From "Mom" to "Aunt Ruth" to "Granny," Ruth "made herself useful and helpful" to family and friends alike her entire life. She believed strongly in hard work and dedicated all her energy and time to caring for others. Ruth's life spanned nine decades, from riding her horse and buggy to Woodrow School to flying and driving coast to coast to see the country, visit relatives, and see the great National Parks.

Ruth was outnumbered at home with a husband and four sons, but she managed the family, worked her vegetable garden, helped on the farm, and always kept a very positive and pleasant demeanor.

A life-long member of the Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church, Ruth read the "Upper Room" Bible stories to her boys every night at bedtime and made sure they were in church every Sunday.

The daughter and sister of school teachers, Ruth valued education very highly and graduated from Columbia Central High School as Salutatorian in 1935. She and her husband sent three sons through college and graduate school. Ruth worked first and foremost as a mother and a wife and being a homemaker, cooking, cleaning, and caring for her family and extended family, including feeding the farm hands.

Before her marriage, Ruth worked at the Gordon's store in downtown Columbia. After her marriage, she worked as a substitute school teacher and finished her career by managing the ladies clothing department at Anderson Bros. and Foster, which later became Sullivan's Department Store, for 40 years. Everyone who ever met Ruth admired, respected, and loved her for the things she believed in, the things she stood for, and the example she set.

She is gone, but will never be forgotten.

A memorial service for Mrs. Fly will be conducted Tuesday at 11:00 A.M. at the Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church with Sister Donna Higgenbotham officiating. Inurnment will follow in the Mt. Nebo Cemetery.

The family will visit with friends from 10:00 A.M. until time of the service at the church on Tuesday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Jimmy Grimmett, 3248 Foster Chapel Road, Columbia, TN 38401.