Elizabeth Ruth Young

With her loving family constantly at her bedside singing songs of praise and expressing loving words and prayers, Elizabeth Ruth Young peacefully slipped into eternity on Tuesday morning, October 19, 2010 in Carrollton, Texas. She was born on November 10, 1932 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to J. C. and Mattie Wilkinson. The past 17 years she has been a resident in Carrollton. Elizabeth was a devoted member of the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Letha Joy Wilkinson. To many friends and family she was affectionately known as "Betty Ruth." She graduated from Duncan High School in 1950.

Elizabeth is survived by her son and daughter in law, Nick and Debbie Young, her daughter Leza Carol Mayes, her grandson Jeremy and wife Kimberley Mayes, her grandson John and wife Amy Young, her granddaughter Amy and husband Deron Williams, by four great grandchildren and many loved ones, friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. For many years she was married to her high school sweetheart, Bob L. Young.

Elizabeth loved the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Church. She loved to pray and was considered a true prayer warrior by the ladies in her Christian group. She wrote many poems on the theme of prayer and life with God. Having been blessed with a beautiful soprano voice, Elizabeth loved to sing all kinds of music. She especially loved Gospel music. As a young mother in her 20's she became part of a ladies trio and performed live every Sunday morning on KRHD radio in Duncan, Oklahoma. Later on she was lead singer for a 40 member choral group at the South Walker Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.

She loved the word of God and was always encouraged by strong, biblical preaching. She was surrounded by a family of preachers, including her son, her father and her grandfather, T. B. Wilkinson. In fact, she probably would have been a preacher of the Gospel, too, if she had thought it was the will of God. She taught Sunday school at church, vacation bible school in the summer, and volunteered in the teen ministry. She told people about the good news of Christ whenever she had the opportunity.
Elizabeth was a very talented and dedicated person. She was successful in many different ventures. She was a prolific unpublished writer and poet. She managed a western wear store, a fast food restaurant, a used car lot and numerous apartment complexes. She was an accountant, trained quarter horses, worked as an insurance agent, a secretary, a machine operator, and a bookkeeper. As the owner of her own debt and financial counseling business, she assisted many people in gaining their own financial freedom and recovery from indebtedness. Companies which employed her services included Safeway and Wal-Mart. Her last full-time position prior to retirement was executive assistant in the DFW International Church of Christ. After this, she worked part time for several months with her son in establishing a new Allstate Insurance Agency in Carrollton in 2001.

Throughout her life, Elizabeth was a great support to all her family. In her final years, she was supported greatly by them, and especially by Leza her daughter, as her primary care giver. She loved deeply, and was loved deeply in return. She made a great impact in life, was blessed abundantly by God, and overcame many obstacles to live a full and happy life and depart with no regrets.

Her funeral is scheduled for Friday evening, October 22, 7:00 p.m. at Allen Family Funeral Home in Plano, Texas. A time of visitation with family and friends is planned from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the service. Interment will occur on Saturday, October 23 at 11:00 a.m. in the Garden of Eternity at Resthaven Memory Gardens, 500 SW 104th, Oklahoma City (405-691-1661).