Woodward County Obituary
Elmwood Cemetery

© Billings Funeral Home
WOODWARD, WOODWARD CO, OK
(permission granted)
Submitted by: Ann Weber

BETTY RUTH RUTLEDGE

17 Nov 1929 - 27 Jan 2015

Visitation: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Friday, January 30th, 2015 - Billings Funeral Home Chapel

Funeral: 2:00 PM Saturday, January 31st, 2015 - Faith United Methodist Church

Interment: Saturday, January 31st, 2015 - Elmwood Cemetery

Betty Rutledge, 85 year old Woodward resident passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, January 27, 2015. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the Faith United Methodist Church with Reverend Charlie Baumann and Gordon Lawson officiating. Interment will follow in Elmwood Cemetery.

Betty Ruth (Shelinbarger) Rutledge was born November 17, 1929 in Woodward, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of George Russell and Lola Belva (Woodrum) Shelinbarger. Betty was a member of Faith United Methodist church. She lived in Woodward all her life and attended Woodward schools graduating as Salutatorian of the Woodward High School “tornado class” of 1947. Betty and her sister, Orpha were the first in the family to graduate from high school. She then attended Northwestern State College in Alva for two years. On July 26, 1949, Betty was married to Calvin Rutledge Jr. Betty and Calvin had four children, Lova, Russell, Simon, and Gary. She worked at Hunter’s Laundry, was a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell, and was a housewife for a few years when the two younger boys were born. Betty then worked at Long Bell Lumber Company as Bookkeeper and Credit Manager until the yard closed and she retired.

Betty loved attending her children’s activities and later chasing after the grand kids to ball games, track meets, plays and the like. Never one to stay idle, she kept busy crocheting, sewing and working on puzzles (jigsaw and word). She was a good cook and made the best bierox, noodles and cherry pies. She was a longtime Dallas Cowboy fan and cheered for those OSU Cowboys, too. Betty was a reader and was one of those people who knew something about everything. Her children and grandchildren have followed her example and are all readers and love words. She and Calvin were members of a square dance club. After Calvin’s death, she enjoyed several trips with her sister, Orpha. Woodward Senior Center was the location of many great pitch, canasta and domino games the last few years.

Betty is survived by her children, Lova Brown and husband Chuck of Enid; Russell Rutledge and wife Marlene of Higgins, Texas; Simon Williams of Oregon City, Oregon; Gary Rutledge and wife Barbara of Crook, Colorado; her grandchildren, are Sara Rutledge of Shattuck; Candice Rutledge of Littleton, Colorado; Lindsay Shirley and husband Clint of Woodward; Spencer Williams and Ava Williams of Oregon City, Oregon; two great-grandchildren, Trevis and Cooper Shirley of Woodward; one sister, Orpha Winters; two brothers, Richard Shelinbarger and Duane Shelinbarger; a niece, Betty Dorean Cates and husband Monte; nephew, Steve Winters and wife Michelle as well as other extended family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Calvin Rutledge; her parents, George and Myrtle Schelinbarger and Lola and Ray Covalt; father and mother-in-law, Cal and Lena Rutledge; one brother-in-law, Ed Winters; and one niece Becky Shelbourne.

Memorials may be given to Woodward Senior Center or Faith United Methodist Church with the funeral home accepting the contributions.