Ella Ruth Chandler
March 4, 1937 — March 31, 2017
Ella Ruth Chandler
Mrs. Ella Ruth Chandler, age 80, of August, Georgia, entered into rest on Friday, March 31, 2017 at Westwood Nursing Facility in Evans, Georgia. Mrs. Chandler was born on March 4, 1937 in Ashe County to Fred and Lucy Taylor. She was raised in West Jefferson and attended Nathans Creek School where she was voted Homecoming Queen.
Ruth became the wife of a career Army serviceman. Over the next thirty years she found herself involved in raising three boys, living in a multitude of military posts throughout the United States and such overseas locations as Ethiopia, Thailand and Germany, and pursuing a college degree in her spare time. She also began working as an Army Community Service (ACS) volunteer, assisting young enlisted soldiers, their wives and families with limited finances to cope with the demands of frequent assignment moves, extended family separation and rigorous duty assignments associated with military service.
It was while stationed with her husband at VII corps Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany that she conceived and originated the first ACS "Swap & Assist Shop". She developed a network of donations and fund raising to allow such soldiers to "borrow" without charge many essential living items they needed for their families.
Swap & Assist Shops began to spread throughout the overseas command. When Ruth left to accompany her husband to his state-wide assignment, she received the highest volunteer recognition from Headquarters, United States Army Europe.
During National Volunteer week in April 2000, she became the first Fort Gordon recipient of the Emma Marie Baird Award, recognition for volunteer service. Using the donated items excessive to the needs of the Fort Gordon community, she was able to make frequent clothing donations to local churches and homeless shelters in the Augusta area. She contributed over 26,000 hours of volunteer community service during her lifetime.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mrs. Chandler is survived by: Husband, Col. (Retired US Army) Edwin W. Chandler, Son, William P. Bowman, Jr. of Augusta, GA, Son, Hudson E. Chandler of Augusta, GA, Son, Karl D. Chandler of Gaithersburg, MD, Brothers, Mack Taylor and Earl Taylor of West Jefferson, Brother, Wayne Taylor of Thomasville, Sisters, Wilma Lewis, Marie Lewis, Dorothy Miller, and Ollie Segraves, all of West Jefferson; also surviving are several grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Words of comfort and remembrance may be viewed or sent to the family through our website at www.ashelawn.com.
Ashelawn Memorial Chapel & Gardens was entrusted with Mrs. Chandler's arrangements.
Ruth became the wife of a career Army serviceman. Over the next thirty years she found herself involved in raising three boys, living in a multitude of military posts throughout the United States and such overseas locations as Ethiopia, Thailand and Germany, and pursuing a college degree in her spare time. She also began working as an Army Community Service (ACS) volunteer, assisting young enlisted soldiers, their wives and families with limited finances to cope with the demands of frequent assignment moves, extended family separation and rigorous duty assignments associated with military service.
It was while stationed with her husband at VII corps Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany that she conceived and originated the first ACS "Swap & Assist Shop". She developed a network of donations and fund raising to allow such soldiers to "borrow" without charge many essential living items they needed for their families.
Swap & Assist Shops began to spread throughout the overseas command. When Ruth left to accompany her husband to his state-wide assignment, she received the highest volunteer recognition from Headquarters, United States Army Europe.
During National Volunteer week in April 2000, she became the first Fort Gordon recipient of the Emma Marie Baird Award, recognition for volunteer service. Using the donated items excessive to the needs of the Fort Gordon community, she was able to make frequent clothing donations to local churches and homeless shelters in the Augusta area. She contributed over 26,000 hours of volunteer community service during her lifetime.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mrs. Chandler is survived by: Husband, Col. (Retired US Army) Edwin W. Chandler, Son, William P. Bowman, Jr. of Augusta, GA, Son, Hudson E. Chandler of Augusta, GA, Son, Karl D. Chandler of Gaithersburg, MD, Brothers, Mack Taylor and Earl Taylor of West Jefferson, Brother, Wayne Taylor of Thomasville, Sisters, Wilma Lewis, Marie Lewis, Dorothy Miller, and Ollie Segraves, all of West Jefferson; also surviving are several grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Words of comfort and remembrance may be viewed or sent to the family through our website at www.ashelawn.com.
Ashelawn Memorial Chapel & Gardens was entrusted with Mrs. Chandler's arrangements.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ella Ruth Chandler, please visit our flower store.
