Ruth Peacock Obituary

Ruth E. Peacock Obituary/Biography Ruth E. Peacock, resident of Bella Vista, Arkansas, from May 1989 to August 1995, died September 18, 2009, at her home in Columbia, Maryland. She was born December 3, 1918, in Independence, Iowa, the daughter of Thomas R. Roberts and Bertha Beal Roberts. She graduated from Decorah High School in Iowa in 1936, having been active in interscholastic debate and the school paper. In 1940 she graduated from Luther College in Decorah, with a major in English and a minor in art. An active member of the College Chips newspaper staff, she became its managing editor. For four years, she was a varsity debater and participated in Pi Kappa Delta national debate tournaments in North Carolina in 1938 and in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1940. She received her M.A. degree in English at the University of Iowa in 1941, attending on a Wesley Foundation scholarship. She taught speech, art, and debate at the Le Mars High School in 1941-42, and English, speech, and debate at the University High School in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1942-43. On June 18, 1943, she married Paul E. Peacock in Decorah. Her son Dennis E. Peacock was born in Radford, Virginia, on March 28, 1944. Her son James D. Peacock was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on January 14, 1951. While in New Jersey, she taught college English for several years at Union College in Cranford, and was active in the American Association of University Women. She moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1972, to live with her sister Lucile Roberts. During her time in Denver, she worked on the administrative staffs of Rose Medical Center and United Press International, among others. From May 1989 to August 1995, she lived in Bella Vista, Arkansas, becoming active in community life. Her church was the Bella Vista First United Methodist Church. An avid Book Club member, she often reviewed books at the library and on the community television channel, and enjoyed continued membership in the American Association of University Women. She was a member of the library board responsible for building the Bella Vista Library. In August of 1995, she moved to Columbia, Maryland, to be near her son James. She was active in the Christ United Methodist Church in Columbia, and participated in Columbia Association committees related to senior services. She was preceded in death by her son Dennis and her husband. Survivors include her son James and her sisters: Col. Lucile M. Roberts, Ret., and Mary Margaret Roberts, Ph.D., of Bella Vista, Arkansas. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on October 3 at the Christ United Methodist Church, 7246 Craderock Way, Owen Brown Interfaith Center, Columbia, MD 21045. Directions are available at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/christcolumbia/. Memorials may be given to the Christ United Methodist Church, Columbia, MD; the Bella Vista First United Methodist Church; the Bella Vista Library; or the charity of one’s choice. The Slack Funeral Home, 3871 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21043, is in charge of arrangements.