Ruth Dowell Woolwine Peevy

On July 7, 2020, Ruth Dowell Woolwine Peevy peacefully passed to be with the Lord in Heaven. Beloved Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Ruth lead an exemplary life of love and service to her Family, Friends and her Community. Her loss is irreplaceable, but temporary as she rejoices ahead of us with so many whom we have loved and said goodbye to in the past.

Ruth was born November 13, 1931, to Ruth Boyd Dowell Woolwine and Earl Glenn Woolwine (Sr). Ruth’s early life was centered with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was a widower who met and married a wonderful, accomplished woman. Ruth and her brother, Earl Jr., were welcome additions who joined 3 sisters and a brother for a full house.

Ruth graduated from the Peabody Teaching School, now part of Vanderbilt University, in 1951 at the age of 19. She was active is sports and served as the captain of her college swim team. A vivacious young woman with a winning smile and love of children grew into a woman of substance with gentle patience and desire to serve others. Ruth met and married Sidney William Edwards in Nashville and eventually moved to San Marcos, Texas, where “Ed” taught at Southwest Texas State University. Ruth bore four and nurtured three surviving children.

In a wonderful turn of life, Ruth finally met her perfect match in her second husband Buel Lavan Peevy. Buel and Ruth have shared a close and very happy life together for over 46 years, with Buel becoming a second father to us all. Ruth and Buel continued working with the First United Methodist Church all these years, where Ruth had ensured her children attended and sang in the Choir every Sunday “at the early service”. In later years, she found purpose and shared her life with others, especially her close friends of her Emmaus group at the Church.

Ruth had a loving and generous heart. And the patience of Job. She taught children in the San Marcos Independent School District for 24 years, retiring in 1992. Many grown men and women have searched her out and thanked her for her tender care during their formative years. She formed fast friendships with other teachers and the wives of professors at the university that have lasted a lifetime. Their shared vice of weekly bridge games and Red Hat activities is legendary. All that education and teaching expertise was not lost on raising her children. Many times, we kids grumbled that we could not get away with anything in San Marcos! And later how very fortunate we have been to benefit from both a loving heart…and knowing how to spell. Ruth was also a life-long member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, continuing a proud family tradition.

It is so difficult to try and summarize a well-spent life. Mother was all these things, and so much more. She and Buel have loved and cared for our extended family all our lives. We will think of her every day, and never stop missing her gentle touch. Her legacy will live on through all of us and our deep roots.

Ruth is survived by her husband, Buel Lavan Peevy, her children Valerie Ann King, Alison Ruth Edwards, and Sidney Glenn Edwards, and Buel’s children Rance Lavan Peevy and Carla Peevy Martin.

Valerie has two children, Christopher Bryce King and Sara Elizabeth King. Valerie and Sara live in Denver, Colorado and Chris lives in Austin, Texas.

Alison and her husband, Lee Van Fleet, live in San Antonio, and their children Austin, William and Alaina all live in Dallas.

Sid and his wife Sabrina live in Burns, Tennessee. Sid’s son, Sidney William Edwards, and his family live in San Antonio, Texas.

Rance and his wife Rebecca live in Grand Prairie, Texas. Carla and her family live in Kilgore, Texas.

Ruth’s surviving sisters Sara Woolwine Winn and her family live in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Ann Woolwine Horn and her family live in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Many more of the extended Woolwine clan still live in and around Nashville, Tennessee.

Due to concerns for everyone’s health, a private service with the Family will be held graveside at the San Marcos Cemetery on Sunday, July 12. At a later date, we will hold a memorial service so that we can all celebrate Ruth’s life together. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the First United Methodist Church of San Marcos.

Arrangements in care of Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche St., San Marcos, Texas. 512-353-4311 ~ www.penningtonfuneralhome.com.