Wanda Ruth Thomas

A graveside service honoring Ruth (Whitt) Thomas, 93, of Grandview, will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Blum Cemetery in Blum, Texas.

Wanda “Ruth” Thomas lived a life marked by quiet faith, steady service, and deep devotion to her family. She passed away on Thursday, January 29, 2026, in Grandview, Texas, at the age of 93, leaving behind generations shaped by her care, her presence, and her unfailing attention to the people she loved.

Ruth Whitt was born on July 25, 1932, in Cleburne, Texas, where her life’s story began and where many of her most cherished memories took root. She married Lawrence “Eldon” Thomas on December 23, 1954, in a small ceremony at their pastor’s home. Though they had known one another for most of their lives, a chance encounter — instigated by Cletus and Rita Ward — reintroduced them while Eldon was home from Greggton, Texas, for a basketball game. Ruth often said the rest was history. They were married just shy of 58 years before Eldon’s passing in 2012.

A devoted Christian, Ruth’s faith was woven into every aspect of her life and home. An Open Windows devotional could always be found on her end table, a quiet reflection of a faith that was practiced daily. Her belief showed up in how she served, listened, prayed, and loved. She was a prayer warrior, faithfully lifting up family, friends, and needs both spoken and unspoken.

Ruth showed her love through presence — by writing, calling, feeding, and showing up again and again. She spent decades caring for her grandchildren, watching them while their parents worked or staying home with them on sick days so their parents wouldn’t have to miss work. She never treated this as a burden, but as a privilege.

Ruth was a keeper of words. One of her most defining gifts was her love for correspondence and documentation. She maintained a decades-long writing circle with her siblings and faithfully wrote to her grandchildren when they were away at school, serving in the military, or simply because she was thinking of them. She called for every birthday, anniversary, and holiday. A notebook always sat nearby, filled with reminders to call a friend, prayer requests, and thoughtful notes — small acts that revealed how attentively she loved.

One of the greatest ways Ruth expressed care was through food. Food wasn’t just food — it was memory, ritual, and welcome. There were always chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar, especially for her youngest son, Keith, and fudgesicles or ice cream waiting in the freezer for the grandchildren. Every birthday was marked with a special cake or cookies made from scratch. She wasn’t afraid to try new recipes, and though she once famously lost her beloved cornbread recipe — much to Eldon’s disappointment — she always kept her recipe cards close by, even after making the same banana pudding for decades. For Ruth, cooking was never about perfection; it was about caring.

Ruth possessed a natural curiosity about the world around her. She could name nearly every bird that entered her backyard. When she had questions, she turned to her encyclopedias and World Books, and when the internet arrived, she sent Eldon to the library to research for her. She paid attention. She wanted to understand.

Ruth worked in the nursing department at Dallas Baptist University, but her deepest passion wasn’t her career — it was her people. She served well because she loved deeply. She read every article, paper, and story her family wrote and always called to talk about them. She attended countless football games, dance recitals, and music performances. She watched every Texas Rangers game, and there was never a day that Wheel of Fortune wasn’t playing as dinner was being prepared.

Ruth was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lawrence “Eldon” Thomas; her parents, William “Cunie” and Mae (Rogers) Whitt; her brother, Jim Whitt; and her sister, Mary Beth Worley.

Ruth is lovingly remembered by her sister, Eilleen Worley and husband, George; her sister-in-law, Judy Whitt; her children and their spouses — David Thomas (Mary), Jan Duncan, and Keith Thomas (Leslie); her cherished grandchildren — Jessica, Sydni (Grant), Jonathan (Abigail), Jeremy, Lucas (Summer), Julianne (Dalton), Bill (Josie), Joss, Peggy Jean (Braydon), Moriah, John, and Seth; along with eleven great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

Ruth lived her life quietly and faithfully, trusting in the hope of what was to come. Her love endures in the lives she shaped, the words she wrote, and the care she offered so freely. While she will be deeply missed, those who loved her take comfort in the promise she held fast to and the legacy of love she leaves behind.