Ruth Tankersley Flory passed away peacefully on Oct. 27, 2021, 19 days before her 94th birthday. Hers was a life well lived and she passed knowing she would be reunited with loved ones who preceded her in death.

Ruth was born on Nov. 15, 1927, in Terrell. Her father, Bert Tankersley, was a farmer and rancher in the College Mound Community near Terrell. The land he farmed was settled by his grandfather in the 1840s, and remains in the family to this day. Her mother, Willie Sewell Tankersley, was a homemaker who was a gifted artist and played piano in the College Mound United Methodist Church for many years.

Ruth grew up in Terrell and College Mound, attending public schools in Terrell until her graduation from Terrell High School in 1945. She was drum major for the Tiger Band and editor-in-chief of the school’s annual. A perennial class favorite, Ruth served as president of her graduating class and was elected senior favorite.

After high school, Ruth enrolled at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Her personality shined at TCU as it had in Terrell. While at TCU she met Ben Matheson. Ruth and Ben married in 1948 and embarked on a series of adventures taking them from Fort Worth to Houston to New York, and eventually back to Fort Worth. Ruth and Ben had three children, a daughter, Suzanne, and two sons, Dan and Jeffrey.

Ruth met her second husband, Frank Flory, in the late 1950s and they married in 1960. Ruth and Frank had a daughter, Karen. They traveled a great deal in the United States and Mexico, but their favorite go-to destination was Las Vegas. They truly loved Las Vegas and had some of their greatest times there, meeting celebrities including Ed Sullivan, Telly Savalas, Lionel Hampton, and Mac Davis, among others.

Ruth (known in her later years as Nana to everyone who knew her) was a free spirit who thrived in the company of others. She would meet someone – from any walk of life – and learn that person’s life story within minutes of their meeting. And people loved being with Ruth. She simply lit up the room with her larger than life personality, her kindness, her enthusiasm for life, and life in the company of others.

When her kids were growing up their friends gravitated to the Flory household. They were welcomed there and knew that fun was to be had with Ruth and Frank. This was also the case with her grandkids who may have found her to be a little more forgiving, and a little more tolerant, than their parents may have been. Rumor hasit that there was always an ample supply of cold beer in Ruth’s refrigerator – and she didn’t drink beer. Ruth enjoyed a good meal (though she

Ruth enjoyed a good meal (though she would be the first to tell you she didn’t like to cook), old movies, books (especially biographies and mysteries), Western art, crossword puzzles, and sports. She was a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers and watched as many of their games as possible. But more than anything, she loved her family – her kids, her grandkids, her great-grandkids, her brothers and sisters-in-law, her nieces and nephews.

Learning of her death, family and friends recalled her as feisty, spirited, a jewel, a delight, her own person, loving, and friendly. She truly was one of a kind, and she loved and was loved by those who knew her.

Ruth was predeceased in death by her son Jeffrey Brent Matheson, her former husband, Frank Flory, her parents Bert and Willie Tankersley, her sister Evelyn Tankersley, her brothers Ralph, Dennis, Charles, and Jack Tankersley, and her sisters-in-law, Ada Freret and Maxine Tankersley.

She is survived by the large family she loved so much, her son Dan Matheson and his wife Jane of Austin, Texas, her daughter Suzanne Petty and her husband Paul of Colorado Springs, Colorado, her daughter Karen Flory Adams of Austin, her seven grandchildren, Kris Petty and his wife Janice of Phoenix, Arizona, Sarah Fink and her husband Noah of Austin, Claire Reyes and her husband Paul of Dallas, Ben Petty and his wife Jessie of Vancouver, British Columbia, Lauren Dyste and her husband John of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Clayton Matheson of San Antonio, Kate Petty of Loveland, Colorado, Austin Adams of Copperas Cove, and Bryce Adams of Bentonville, Arkansas, and 15 great-grandchildren, Elena Petty, Miles Petty, and Ellis Petty, Kayla Fink, Emilia Fink, Savannah Fink, and Mariela Fink, Lily Reyes and Laura Reyes, Charlotte Petty and Cormac Petty, Lewis and Isla Dyste, and Emily Matheson and Isabel Matheson, her sisters-in-law, Francis Tankersley and Hope Tankersley, and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.

A service celebrating Ruth’s life will be held at the College Mound United Methodist Church on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. Masks and social distancing are requested during the service.

As Ruth was a supporter of Meals-on-Wheels and Mobile Loaves and Fishes, donations in her memory to those worthwhile charities would be appreciated.