Ruth Muirhead Berry, long-time resident of both Provo and Salt Lake City, died Sept. 21, 1995.
Mrs. Berry was born in 1892 in Iowa, lived some years in Michigan, and spent several years as a young woman teaching in Athens, Alabama at a missionary school for African-American youngsters. This began her life-long commitment to the cause of equal rights for all minorities.Shortly after World War I she came to Provo as a teacher in the Provo Academy. Married Raymond A. Berry, a Provo resident, and encouraged and assisted him in his career as a writer of western novels and short stories. She herself later wrote three books: High Is the Wall, To Enjoy God, and Long Is The Way.
Mr. Berry's early death in 1941 forced her to leave her beloved home and gardens in Provo and take jobs elsewhere. She spent three years in San Diego, working with the war-time services for the Congregational Church, rewarding but exhausting work.
After the war she spent several years in Missoula, Montana, as housemother in a Men's dormitory at the University. It was work she enjoyed enormously.
At the age of seventy Mrs. Berry took a position teaching English to young boys in a church school in Kayseri, Turkey. It was about this time she said to an interviewer: "So many people are concerned about their parent who has no mate. I feel a widow is a separate family. I would rather have my children wonder what Mother will do next than wonder what they will do with Mother." This Turkish position gave her the opportunity to travel in the Mid-East and Europe before returning to the U.S.
Sustained by strong religious faith and sweet temperament, hers was a long, varied, and rich life, one of selfless service to both family and society. She outlived most of her friends, but is survived and mourned by her son, Raymond M. Berry, of Salt Lake City; and his family, two daughters, Marybeth Subers, Phoenix, Ariz.; and Barbara Cannon, Arnold, Calif.; five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, one sister and numerous other relatives.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday, 11 a.m., at the Holladay United Church of Christ, 2631 East Murray-Holladay Rd. Cmmittal to follow at the Provo City Cemetery. Funeral directors, Neil O'Donnell & Sons.
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