Beverly was an accomplished athlete who set records and won numerous awards while competitively swimming in the Gulf Coast Aquatic Association. She was a certified Red Cross lifeguard and water safety instructor, as well as an adult handicapped swimming teacher. She was elected as a cheerleader at Bay City Junior High School while still attending Holy Cross Catholic School in the eight grade. She was UIL state diving champion when she was 14. The softball team she played second base for, the “Sparks”, won the national championship in the 60′s. Her photograph made the cover of Cover Girl magazine when she was 16. She was Sophomore Sweetheart in high school. She went to school in Mexico and became fluent in Spanish.

Beverly was a constant fixture in the concession stand at the Bay City High School baseball field for both high school and Babe Ruth baseball. She and her husband sponsored an adult Co-Ed softball team, The Odd Couples, in the Bay City Parks and Recreation League. Bev and Jody also took numerous long vacations driving and saw many sights around the country. She greatly enjoyed country dancing with her husband and friends. She volunteered with the Women’s Crisis Center. She supported paralyzed veterans and American Indian Charities. She loved to work in the yard tending her plants, trees, and roses. She most of all loved to get together with family at anytime although the holidays were special, and was well-known for always remembering everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries. She was loved by everyone who knew her.

Ruth Elizabeth Claybourn passed away this week on 1 December 2010. Ruth was born 12 July 1918 in Benton, Illinois as the second child and only daughter of Noel Clyde Claybourn. Ruth loved school and graduated from Benton High School in 1936. Ruth was named “Miss Benton” in 1936 in a Personality and Beauty Contest and represented Benton in the contest at the State Fair in Springfield.

She married Elmer Ellsworth “Chick” Johnson (born 12 June 1913) on 3 December 1939. Chick was an oil well driller and operated his own company. The couple had a 100 acre farm between Elberfeld and Millersburg, Indiana, near Evansville and raised pure bred horses and ponies as a hobby. Along with Chick, Ruth loved life in the country with horses, gardening, swimming and other outdoor activities. She shared a lifelong love of reading with her children and enjoyed playing the piano and organ.

A fulltime mother until her children were all in school, Ruth was employed as a bookkeeper for J. B. Drilling Company and Francis Barnes Accounting, and later as an optical assistant in the office of Dr. Charles Brizius. She was always involved with her children in church, school, and scouting activities.

Chick and Ruth were also both active in various Masonic and Shrine activities. Chick was an active Mason and Shriner who served as Potentate of the Hadi Shrine Temple, while Ruth was active in Rainbow Girls as Mother Adviser and in the Daughters of the Nile and the Egyptian Band. Over a period of twenty plus years the couple enjoyed family activities with the Shrine White Horse Patrol and Chick was dedicated to helping organize the Shrine Circus every Thanksgiving.

Chick died in October of 1977 and, following his death, Ruth reconnected with a highschool classmate, Robert Smith, then living in California. After a courtship of several months by telephone, sight unseen, he proposed and they were married shortly after. Upon his retirement from the faculty at San Bernardino State College, they enjoyed travel and had a happy twenty years developing a mutual interest in ceramics from throwing pots to sculpture, studying under Les Miley at Evansville College and at San Bernardino State College in California.

In Ruth’s older age she had moved into a home for the elderly in Evansville, Indiana, and one day while not feeling particularly well, she requested that a nearby harp be played for her. As the beautiful music filled the air that day on 1 December 2010, Ruth passed away.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies is proud to award The Claybourn Genealogical Society an Award of Merit for meritorious contributions benefiting the genealogical community. The Claybourn Family History website is truly indeed deserving of this award. Rich in family history biographical information which includes detailed accounts of many of these family members with citation references, if one is working on a Claybourn line, one would be remiss in not stopping at this website and spending some time there.

In addition, the Societies preservation concerns as example the “Claybourn Bible” is a strong commitment to the recording and documenting the family history while making sure the gems of the family remain intact.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies will honor its award winners at the opening session of the annual conference on Thursday 19 August 2010, in Knoxville, TN.

Many thanks to all of the CGS supporters who helped make this possible.