Funeral services for Mrs. Ruth Sanders, age 89, of Gary, TX, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, at Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church near Gary, with Rev. Chris Jeffery officiating under the direction of Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Shady Grove Cemetery, near Gary. The family will receive friends for a visitation and wake service from 6-8 p.m. on Friday at the Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Mrs. Sanders passed away on Sunday morning, Oct. 2, 2011.

Ruth Smith Sanders was born March 22, 1922, in Panola County, TX the ninth of twelve children born to the marriage of King Solomon and Evangeline Calloway Smith. She attended New Salem School near Gary. Ruth accepted Christ as her Savior and joined the Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church. She united in marriage with Cleveland Sanders on June 6, 1940, and from this union, fifteen children were born. Mrs. Sanders, or "Mu Dear" as she's so lovingly called by her children, not only raised her 15 children, but was a caring mother figure to other children throughout her life. Her door and her heart were always open to anyone in need. Mu Dear still found time to relax and do some of the things she enjoyed such as fishing at Lake Murvaul and in the creeks around Gary, and nothing pleased her more than to ride around the area checking out the garage sales. Mrs. Sanders was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two sons, James Sanders and Harvey Lee Sanders; and one daughter, Verna Ruth Sanders; six brothers, John Smith, Malachi Smith, Bishop Smith, Harvey Smith, Andrew W. Smith, and King Solomon Smith, Jr.; and five sisters, Patty Lee Calhoun, Viola Waters, Mary Jones, Theo Solomon, and Ray Lee Rudd.

Mrs. Sanders is survived by seven sons, Cleveland Sanders, Jr. (Gloria) of Highland Village, TX, Leo T. Sanders (Virginia) of Carthage, Mack Sanders of Longview, Billy G. Sanders (Telena) of Longview, Willie T. Sanders of Gary, Ebbie D. Sanders (Nell) of Gary, and Roger Sanders of Kilgore; four daughters, Floria Young (Jimmy) of Longview, Carolyn Hicks Sanders of Kilgore, Barbie Sanders Palmer of Longview, and Bertha Beckworth of Kilgore, who was her caregiver. She was the proud grandmother of 30 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Serving as pallbearers are Leo Sanders, Jr., Tim Sanders, Billy Sanders, Jr., Phillip Sanders, Damian Hicks, Rogerick Hicks, and Ebbie D. Sanders, Jr. Serving as honorary pallbearers are Cleveland Sanders, Leo Sanders, Mack Sanders, Billy Sanders, Willie Sanders, Ebbie Sanders, and Steven Roger Sanders.

If desired, memorials may be made to the Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 131 FM 999, Gary, TX 75643.

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com