Ruby V. Smith
May 18, 1925 - July 30, 2023
Ruby V. Smith, 98 of Dalhart, passed away on July 30, 2023. A Funeral Service is scheduled for 10:00am on Friday, August 4, 2023 in First Baptist Church in Dalhart with Brother Kurtis Abla officiating. A Visitation will be from 6-8:00pm on Thursday at the funeral home. A Graveside Service is scheduled for 11:00am on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler, TX. Arrangements are entrusted to Horizon Funeral Home.
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Ruby V. Smith, 98 of Dalhart, passed away on July 30, 2023. A Funeral Service is scheduled for 10:00am on Friday, August 4, 2023 in First Baptist Church in Dalhart with Brother Kurtis Abla officiating. A Visitation will be from 6-8:00pm on Thursday at the funeral home. A Graveside Service is scheduled for 11:00am on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler, TX. Arrangements are entrusted to Horizon Funeral Home.

Ruby was born on May 18, 1925 to Amos H. and Barbara A. (Stone) Balch in Abilene, TX. She graduated from Tyler High School and attended Tyler Junior College and completed her professional courses in accounting and office management during her career. Ruby married O.E. Pepper in 1944. She married for the second time in 1950 to Charles Ross Smith in Tyler. They enjoyed almost 40 years of a beautiful marriage. He passed away in February of 1990. Ruby worked as the Office Manager of XIT Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. and retired on June 30, 1987 after being employed since October of 1953. She also served as secretary to the Advertising manager of the Tyler Courier-Times in Tyler, TX from 1943-1944. From 1947-1950, she was the secretary for the Smith County School Superintendent, also in Tyler. In Dalhart, Ruby was the secretary for the Texas Department of Public Welfare from 1952 until 1953.

Ruby was a long-time church member joining the First Baptist Church in Tyler in 1939 at the age of 14 and in Dalhart since 1950. She was a Sunday School teacher for 5 and 8 year olds, Superintendent for the Junior High Sunday School Class Dept., and taught adult ladies in the Grace Class, Adult VI Dept of the FBC in Dalhart, she was a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority in Dalhart, charter member of Iota Upsilon Chapter in Tyler, life member of Laureate Gamma Chapter and Beta Sigma Phi; held all offices during her membership and received the Silver Circle, Golden Circle, Order of the Rose and Masters Degree, she was a life member of Tyler Rebekah Lodge in Tyler and was recording secretary from 1943 until 1950, member of the Order of the Eastern Star Dalhart Chapter since 1958, member at large of National Daughters of the American Revolution in Dalhart since 1976, member of National Society Colonial Dames in Amarillo since 1990, member and volunteer at Dalhart Senior Citizens Association and served on the Board of Directors from 1992 until 2002.

She is preceded in death by her parents: Amos H. and Barbara A. Balch; one brother: Allen H. Balch, one half-sister: Irene Balch Roberts; one half-brother: Edgar L. Balch; one stepdaughter: Frances Marie Newman; stepsons: Gene Smith, Captain Charles Ross Smith, Jr., USN-Retired, John Lattie Smith and stepdaughter: Rebecca Margaret Smith.

Ruby is survived by one son: Dr. George Harold Pepper and wife Nancy Searl of Southlake, TX; nieces: Patricia Tracy of McGregor, TX; Dr. Paulanne Balch of Boulder, CO, Deborah LaCivita of Greensboro, NC, Karen Pittman of Ruston, LA, Allen H. "Skip" Balch of Lakeway, TX and many great nieces and nephews.