Ruth Rae Yount Starnes, age 86, of Bethlehem Community left this world on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at Frye Regional Medical Center. She was born on May 14, 1931, the daughter of the late Raymond & Ruth Yount. Ruth was a faithful and active member of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church. She was a woman of the church and served wherever she was needed. Ruth was a homemaker and loved gardening, cooking, and would volunteer at Bethlehem Elementary School. Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband Fred Starnes; son Fred “Timothy” Starnes; and sister Violet Wilson.
Those left to cherish her memory include her children Beth Hyatt (Robert), Amy Warren (fiancé Jerry Pardue), Brian Stewart Starnes, and Kenny Starnes all of Bethlehem; sister Jo Cline of Jacksonville, FL; granddaughter Jacqueline Moose (Phillip) of Bethlehem; great-grandsons Caleb, Lukas, & Bash Moose; aunt Florence Teague of Hickory; along with a number of nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends on Friday, February 2, 2018 from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Bethlehem with a Memorial Service to celebrate her life following at 2:00 pm with the Rev. Dale Bost officiating. Burial of the urn will be in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Mt. Bethel UMC at 9042 NC Hwy 127; Hickory, NC 28601.