Obituary for Ruby Clara Loveland
Ruby Clara Loveland, age 91, died April 2, 2022. She was a beloved sister, aunt and friend, a gardener who loved wildflowers, adopted many stray cats and left her friends and family with many handmade quilts.
Clara was born in Jerusalem, Ark on Feb. 18, 1931 to John Willis and Minnie Lacy Loveland. She grew up with three brothers and a sister in the Appleton area. She was a beloved aunt to 15 nieces and nephews, and many more great and great-great nieces and nephews.
As a child, she helped pick cotton and cucumbers to support the family. She graduated from Hector High School in 1949. After high school, she worked at Tuf-Nut Garment Factory in Little Rock and as postmaster in Appleton, Arkansas. She moved to St. Louis and took a job in the business office of Life Uniform company. Eventually she became store manager of the Little Rock, Arkansas store. In that role, she worked with doctor’s offices and hospitals to supply uniforms to large staffs. When scrubs briefly became fashionable, everyday wear, she regaled her nieces and nephews with stories of people coming into the uniform shop to look for “cool clothes.”
She lived for many years in a studio apartment in Summit House Apartments, which her nieces thought was terribly glamorous and a little bit like “That Girl” on television. She could walk to the store she managed in Park Plaza Mall. When she retired from Life Uniform, she moved back to Appleton, Ark. She lived across the street from her co-sister-in-law, Sue Bartlett, (Sue’s brother, John Bartlett, is married to Clara’s sister, Floann Loveland Bartlett) and they spent many Fridays and Saturdays going to garage sales where Clara would buy porcelain creamers from sugar and creamer sets. She built up a large collection and she and Sue would have a lot of fun, finding bargains and talking to people. (She would be especially happy when she would find a partially finished quilt that she could buy and complete.) She was a member of the Appleton Cumberland Presbyterian Church, near where she will be buried.
She was an avid and creative quilter and would often give quilts as Christmas gifts and donated children’s quilts to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the fire department and The Call for foster children. She was always willing to try something new or different and she made a treasured wall hanging for her sister, Floann Loveland Bartlett, that depicted their family homeplace, and Floann’s wedding day. She also made a special quilt using crib sheets when one of her grandnephews was outgrowing the crib and needed a quilt for his big boy bed.
Her nieces and nephews appreciated the funny stories she would tell and at holiday gatherings she often would want to pull people together to team up on Solitaire.
She liked all types of gardening but was especially fond of native flowers. She knew the names of many wildflowers and plants. She would often dig up wildflowers to transplant to her yard.
In 2017, she decided she could no longer live alone. She packed a suitcase, including some pictures of her parents and moved away from the wildflowers, quilts and creamer collection, seemingly without looking back. When she first arrived at Legacy Heights Nursing Home, she spent a lot of time walking the halls of the facility, greeting people and enjoying the exercise and socialization. Her sister came to visit her every day until Legacy Heights had to close to visitors because of COVID in 2020. Her sister would often bring wildflowers. Her nephew Buddy Loveland and his wife Brenda Loveland were also frequent visitors and would keep her supplied in quilting materials so she could continue to quilt.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Millard Yale “Skeets” Loveland, Ira Lee “Bad Egg” Loveland and John Willard “Bill” Loveland. She is survived by her sister, Ora Floann Loveland Bartlett and her husband, John Bartlett.
A burial service will take place at the Appleton Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. Visitation will begin at 1:30 at the church. Her family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the Appleton Cumberland Presbyterian Church or the Appleton Cemetery. Donations may be sent to Pastor Tommy Oakes & Carla Oakes at 264 T & R Lane, Atkins, AR, 72823. People could also plant some native flowers in their yard and think of Clara every spring.
Online obituary and condolences are available at www.lemleyfuneral.com.
Clara was born in Jerusalem, Ark on Feb. 18, 1931 to John Willis and Minnie Lacy Loveland. She grew up with three brothers and a sister in the Appleton area. She was a beloved aunt to 15 nieces and nephews, and many more great and great-great nieces and nephews.
As a child, she helped pick cotton and cucumbers to support the family. She graduated from Hector High School in 1949. After high school, she worked at Tuf-Nut Garment Factory in Little Rock and as postmaster in Appleton, Arkansas. She moved to St. Louis and took a job in the business office of Life Uniform company. Eventually she became store manager of the Little Rock, Arkansas store. In that role, she worked with doctor’s offices and hospitals to supply uniforms to large staffs. When scrubs briefly became fashionable, everyday wear, she regaled her nieces and nephews with stories of people coming into the uniform shop to look for “cool clothes.”
She lived for many years in a studio apartment in Summit House Apartments, which her nieces thought was terribly glamorous and a little bit like “That Girl” on television. She could walk to the store she managed in Park Plaza Mall. When she retired from Life Uniform, she moved back to Appleton, Ark. She lived across the street from her co-sister-in-law, Sue Bartlett, (Sue’s brother, John Bartlett, is married to Clara’s sister, Floann Loveland Bartlett) and they spent many Fridays and Saturdays going to garage sales where Clara would buy porcelain creamers from sugar and creamer sets. She built up a large collection and she and Sue would have a lot of fun, finding bargains and talking to people. (She would be especially happy when she would find a partially finished quilt that she could buy and complete.) She was a member of the Appleton Cumberland Presbyterian Church, near where she will be buried.
She was an avid and creative quilter and would often give quilts as Christmas gifts and donated children’s quilts to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the fire department and The Call for foster children. She was always willing to try something new or different and she made a treasured wall hanging for her sister, Floann Loveland Bartlett, that depicted their family homeplace, and Floann’s wedding day. She also made a special quilt using crib sheets when one of her grandnephews was outgrowing the crib and needed a quilt for his big boy bed.
Her nieces and nephews appreciated the funny stories she would tell and at holiday gatherings she often would want to pull people together to team up on Solitaire.
She liked all types of gardening but was especially fond of native flowers. She knew the names of many wildflowers and plants. She would often dig up wildflowers to transplant to her yard.
In 2017, she decided she could no longer live alone. She packed a suitcase, including some pictures of her parents and moved away from the wildflowers, quilts and creamer collection, seemingly without looking back. When she first arrived at Legacy Heights Nursing Home, she spent a lot of time walking the halls of the facility, greeting people and enjoying the exercise and socialization. Her sister came to visit her every day until Legacy Heights had to close to visitors because of COVID in 2020. Her sister would often bring wildflowers. Her nephew Buddy Loveland and his wife Brenda Loveland were also frequent visitors and would keep her supplied in quilting materials so she could continue to quilt.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Millard Yale “Skeets” Loveland, Ira Lee “Bad Egg” Loveland and John Willard “Bill” Loveland. She is survived by her sister, Ora Floann Loveland Bartlett and her husband, John Bartlett.
A burial service will take place at the Appleton Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. Visitation will begin at 1:30 at the church. Her family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the Appleton Cumberland Presbyterian Church or the Appleton Cemetery. Donations may be sent to Pastor Tommy Oakes & Carla Oakes at 264 T & R Lane, Atkins, AR, 72823. People could also plant some native flowers in their yard and think of Clara every spring.
Online obituary and condolences are available at www.lemleyfuneral.com.