Tribute From a Cousin (by Diane Westmoreland Graves)

Diane Graves  
(Howard Westmoreland’s daughter).  Your mom was my first cousin. 

 

When I was in late elementary or early junior high school, Bruce and Ruth were on furlough and spoke at our church, First Church of the Nazarene in Houston TX.  After church, they came home with us.  My father was Howard Westmoreland and my mother was Marine.  I think that Uncle Clyde and Aunt Juanita may have come over to our house also.  After lunch, my brother Steve and I were playing in the yard and the windows to the house were open.  I heard Bruce, who had been resting in my parents’ bedroom, praying for the evening service where he would preach again.  As a very young person, his prayer and the lives that I saw Bruce and Ruth living made a lifelong impression on me.   I can also remember a few of the “missionary” stories that they told.

A number of years ago, Bruce, Ruth, and Bruce’s sister, Merna, were driving through Houston.  They called Uncle Clyde to let us know they were coming.  I picked up Uncle Clyde and Aunt Juanita and drove to a restaurant where we had agreed to meet.  We had a great time visiting and catching up. 

In October of 2002, Bruce and Ruth attended a Westmoreland reunion on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia.  It was good to be with lots of cousins from the clan of Uncle Sam and Aunt Nora.  Bruce and Ruth, Neva, Steve, and I from Granddaddy’s (Albert) family attended the reunion even though it was planned by Uncle Sam’s descendants.  It was so nice to have a couple of days to visit with Bruce and Ruth.  My picture of Ruth while we were there is watching her talk to Halcyone Westmoreland Howard.  Halcyone (Penny) was the oldest family member there and Ruth was picking her brain for family memories.

Ruth was sweet, kind, and diligent about serving our Lord.  Although I wasn’t around her very many times in my life, I have only pleasant thoughts about her.  I really admired the loving relationship that Bruce and Ruth had with each other.  Ruth was good about emailing me and writing me an occasional letter.  She was a woman of God.  I am glad we are in the same earthly family and the same heavenly family.