Ruth Matthews (photo obtained from Shirley (Anderson) Reed)

Ruth Matthews --- Full Photo Card

Ruth Matthews (photo obtained through Lorna (Williams) Tretheway)

Ruth Matthews Scott's Tombstone

born: 22 Oct 1831, Fayette Co.,Indiana

bapt: Abt 1851

died: 21 May 1917, Des Moines,Polk Co.,Iowa, at 1332 26th Street (son E.C. Scott's home)

bur.: South English,Keokuk Co.,Iowa, at South English Cemetery

spouse: Elisha SCOTT

marr: 1 Jan 1852, Carroll Co.,Indiana

born: 18 Dec 1822, Wayne Co.,Indiana

died: 22 Aug 1862, South English,Keokuk Co.,Iowa

bur.: South English,Keokuk Co.,Iowa, at South English Cemetery

occu: Christian Church minister

Children:

Barclay Matthews SCOTT

Avesta Franklin SCOTT

Ida Louise SCOTT

Ada Lucinda SCOTT

Elisha Challen SCOTT

spouse: James Denton ALKIRE

marr: 26 Oct 1864, Keokuk Co.,Iowa

born: 31 Jul 1821, Madison Co.,Ohio

died: 2 Nov 1889, Keswick,Keokuk Co.,Iowa

bur.: Webster,Keokuk Co.,Iowa, at Sorden Cemetery (Row M, Lot 1)

occu: farmer

Children:

Alvin Milo ALKIRE

James Arthur ALKIRE

Jane May ``Jenna'' ALKIRE

Mary Adella ALKIRE

Isaac Albert ALKIRE

spouse: Nathan BATES

marr: 13 Oct 1895

born: 12 Mar 1822

died: 7 Sep 1898, Maxwell,Story Co.,Iowa

bur.: Maxwell,Story Co.,Iowa, at Municipal Cemetery (row 2, lot 9, section 1, North side)

                      |--------Joel MATTHEWS (1755, (probably) Virginia - 1834, OH)
                      |
           |---------James MATTHEWS (1779, Virginia - 1837, Indiana)
           |          |
           |          |--------Patty (1757, (probably) Virginia - )
           |
  |------Tunstal Quarles MATTHEWS (1807, Kentucky - 1878, Nebraska)
  |        |
  |        |          |--------
  |        |          |
  |        |---------Margaret REED (1784 - 1824, Ohio)
  |                   |
  |                   |--------
  |
Ruth MATTHEWS (1831, Indiana - 1917, Iowa)
  |
  |                   |--------Lewis MORGAN (1727, Pennsylvania - 1814, Kentucky)
  |                   |
  |        |---------Adonijah MORGAN (1755, VA - 1827, Indiana)
  |        |          |
  |        |          |--------Christine Ann WHITE (1726, Pennsylvania - 1816, Kentucky)
  |        |
  |------Jane Chlo MORGAN (1807, Kentucky - 1837, Indiana)
           |
           |          |--------
           |          |
           |---------Isabelle Jean MCMAHON (1765, Scotland - 1829, Indiana)
                      |
                      |--------

Ruth lived a long life. As typical for anyone in those pioneer days, her long life included a lot of personal tragedy. She outlived 3 husbands, her parents, all her full sisters, most of her half-siblings, and five children. I imagine her strong faith in God saw her through all of this.

Her first husband, Elisha Scott baptized her into the Christian Church not long before they were married. She came to the South English, Iowa area with Elisha about 1855. After Elisha died, Ruth taught school a little bit. After two years she married James Alkire, merging their two families (he being a widower with six children ages 3 to adult). Her time with James was the only time she wasn't directly involved in a church since her father and first husband were ministers and her last husband and son (with whom she lived) were Elders in the church (all of them Disciples of Christ). Her son Elisha C. Scott wrote of this period in Ruth's obituary:

The life on the farm was strange to her and she missed keenly the rich church fellowship that had been such a large part of life. But her family was well fed and she kept alive her faith by reading and prayer and did what she could to bring up her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

About 4 years after James died, their youngest son Isaac moved west and Ruth moved to the home of her son, Elisha Challen Scott, in Maxwell. This is where Ruth met her third husband, Nathan Bates. In about 1907, she came to Des Moines and again made her home with her son, E. C. Scott, until the time of her death.

Sources for this individual: @S108@ @S105@ @S1743@ @S78@ @S27@