Ruth McBee

Ruth Mercer McBee, 82, a former area resident, died on July 16, 2005, at Texas City, Texas.

Ruth had lived in Galveston County since 1951.

She was born on Feb. 28, 1923, at Noxon, to Charles and Essie Mercer.

After moving to the Galveston area, Ruth worked for the Texas Employment Commission for several years before transferring to the University of Texas Medical Branch where she worked for 23 years, retiring in 1984.

Ruth was a member of the First Families of Ohio, the Ohio Genealogical Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charles McBee Sr., her parents Charles and Essie Mercer of Libby; grandparents Emmett and Wealthy Anna Thomson of Spokane, and sister Mary Anna Helgeson, Rhinelander, Wis.

Survivors include daughters Linda Armacost and her husband Joe, LaMarque; Roberta Bartuska and her husband Bob, Tacoma, Wash.; step-son C. Douglas McBee Jr. and his wife Linda, Galveston; grandchildren Shasta Bartlett and her husband Robert of Austin, Wendy Chide and her husband Paul, Galveston, Gayle Culling and her husband Steve and family of Texas City, Texas, Chuck McBee and his wife Mari, Galveston, and William McBee, Houston; three great grandchildren in Galveston; nephew Ronald Mercer and his family in South Carolina, niece Charlene Nelson and her children Mike and Shelly, all in California, and many relatives in Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Montana.

Visitation was from 1-2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, at the James Crowder Funeral Home in La Marque, with the funeral service following at 2 p.m., with the Rev. Keith Broyles officiating.

Entombment followed at Forest Park East in Webster, Texas.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests a memorial to a charity of the donor's choice.