Senior Lifetime Achievement Awards

Ruth H. Brown

Guilderland, New York

Birth Date: March 5, 1913

Faith Community: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Albany

Nominators: Howard and Shirley Otty, Westminster Presbyterian Church

Early Accomplishments: Ruth Brown graduated from Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 193 1. She attended and graduated from the MacIntosh Business School, 1931 to 1933.

 Family: Ruth was married to Elliot Brown from January 12, 1940, until his death in February 1998. She has one son, Allen Brown, in New Jersey; a grandson, Jeffrey, in California; and a grandson, Gregory, in New Jersey. She has a twin brother, Charles, who lives in Massachusetts, and many nieces and nephews.

 Career: Mrs. Brown was employed as a secretary by the Lawrence Tuberculosis League. Her duties included mailing Easter seals, taking underprivileged children to Reading Sanitarium for x-rays, transporting children with inactive TB to Happy Health Camp in Boxford, Massachusetts, and being in charge of registration, tuition, etc.

 Activities in Middle Years: Ruth and Elliot Brown joined Westminster Presbyterian Church when they moved to Albany in 1945. Ruth was a member of the Tuesday Guild and served on calling committees. They moved to Fayetteville, New York, and then to Whitesboro, New York, returning to Albany and Westminster in 1971. By this time, Ruth found it necessary to use a wheelchair although she could drive and continued her work on calling committees and as a member of New England Women. She helped Elliot with calling and paperwork for the various committees on which he served.

 Activities in Senior Years: Ruth has held the offices of Chaplain, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Albany Colony of the National Society of New England Women, and currently is a Director. She has been chairwoman of several committees at the national level of the Society. She also did much "paperwork" and calling for Elliot when he was Lieutenant Governor of the Albany Colony of Mayflower Descendants from 1979 to 1982.

Ruth was stricken with polio at six months of age. Her loving and wise parents instilled in her a belief that she could live a full life despite this handicap, and Ruth has demonstrated her ability to do just that with her service to Westminster Presbyterian Church. She has served wherever possible and has faithfully done much calling for Church committees such as Every Member Canvass, setting up dates for pictures for the Church Directory, etc.

Ruth has been a loving and devoted wife and mother. That love and devotion extends to her many friends and she is always ready to offer comfort in times of stress and rejoice with them in happiness. She asks for very little for herself, but anticipates the need for concern and expresses it to neighbors, family and friends.