An Unsung Heroine
Aug 11th, 2009 by David Anderson
My Cousin, Ruth Bessick formerly of Dover passed from this earth Saturday joining her late husband Buddy. She was unknown to most, but I had the pleasure of being one of the privileged to know Buddy and Ruth. This pair made part of their lives at least 20 children (I think we stopped counting after that) who had no one in cooperation with the Delaware Foster Care system.
They put up with rules and complication in order to touch lives. Most of those children think of them as their Mom and Dad. It is the place where many of them first knew love. Sister Ruth, as we called her in church, was a master at the piano even though she could never read music. She could play almost anything by ear. What I found she best mastered was the art of reaching the human soul. Some children came from abuse. Others were mentally challenged. Some were handicapped. Some had jailed parents. While yet others came from tragedy. Some of these children could not be reached by those with degrees in counseling but they could be reached by the couple that loved.
When I think of the values to live by, this lady is one of the people who exemplified them. She helped influence my life. Every time I reach out to some child in need, she will continue to have a legacy of love.
That is a moving story about a wonderful woman (and husband) who made a difference, a big difference. Thank you for enabling us here to know something about her, David. RIP!
Sorry for your loss, David. It takes a lot of sacrifice to do what they did, but they certainly have left their mark on the world. We should all be so lucky.
I wish I could have met Sister Ruth, David. My family too has benefited greatly from the foster care system. Thank you for this wonderful tribute.
Sounds like a life well lived. My family hosted a foster child once. He was a few years younger than me. It was often fun, but deffinitly a challenge.
Sorry for your loss, David. It is people like your cousin Ruth who are really the backbone of this country. May she rest in peace.
Thank you all for allowing me to share with you.
Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me…”