[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 153 (Friday, September 4, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING RUBY MONTGOMERY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 4, 2020

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Ruby Montgomery.
  ``Mama Ruby has faith'' . . . her faith enabled the love she has 
shared with others--others who have grown now share her faith and 
believe her acts of kindness to be precious gifts--gifts that touch 
people's hearts and are rooted right here in the Mississippi Delta.
  In fact, Ruby Montgomery, described by her children as, ``a dedicated 
child of God'', is a woman who shapes the lives of others and continues 
to dedicate her life to serve her children and neighbors while being 
led by the Holy Spirit.
  As we learned, it is Ruby's faith, her confident belief and trust in 
The Lord, which has kept her going all these years. In addition, her 
testimony reveals that even from a very young age, Ruby was taught to 
practice kindness and humility, two ideals her parents, the late Rev. 
Rollie Lee and teacher Daisy Bell Lee of Lambert, Mississippi, taught 
her well.
  Ruby, the wife of the late TSGT William Henry Montgomery of Marks, 
Mississippi, who with her became proud parents of Deborah A. Simpson, 
Rhonda L. Montgomery, and Roderick L. Montgomery. The pair also managed 
to care for their granddaughter, Tashunda Montgomery-Vaughn; great 
granddaughter, Ja'Brea Joiner; and four other grandchildren: 
Lacambrise, Ahbrae, Andre, and Desiree.
  But did the couple stop there? Of course not. They also committed to 
raise five foster children: Linda, Shelia, Patricia, Pamela, and 
Stephanie. And as a result, she inherited several more grandchildren: 
Markus, Kim, Melanie, Teon, Nekeveonia, Herbert Jr., Altrevia, and 
Corderio. Onward, she inherited several more children: Joel, Anthony, 
Stephanie Reeder, Yolanda, Yameka, Lorraine, April, and their children. 
Now that is a big family and makes this author wonder just how Mama 
Ruby had time for anything else.
  Questions come to mind: How does the first teacher teach in an 
integrated school system in Quitman County, raise dozens of kids, and 
go to work helping other children learn all day? Where did her energy 
and money come from when times were hard? Ruby credits The Lord.
  People whose lives have been touched by Mama Ruby know that she is a 
person who can be trusted. She is seen by so many as an inspiration to 
those around her and a living example of how faith can impact the lives 
of those she has helped. Ruby is the person people come to with their 
problems, the one who comforts those in need, and the mother who cares 
for the sick in the body or in the spirit.
  By making time to mentor countless of children in the community of 
Marks over the years, she unknowingly stepped into the permanent role 
of ``Mama Ruby'' for generation after generation, gaining the respect 
of the community and the trust of its members.
  For example, as a teacher in the Quitman County public school system 
for over 40 years, retiring in 1993, Ruby gained the trust of her 
students, many of whom she opened the doors of her home to and also 
offered rides to church on Sunday. Many of these students grew up and 
had their own children, who were also taught by Ruby--allowing her to 
impact one generation after another.
  However, the teaching did not stop in the classroom. In fact, at 
church, Ruby was also a teacher who shared the Bible with young minds. 
She serves as both a Sunday school and Bible study teacher. Even after 
teaching for over forty years, she does not tire of spending her energy 
toward young children's education. Education, as we all know, is not 
limited to just the classroom.
  Ruby likes to educate teenagers as well. She and her husband always 
helped out the youth in the community who wished to work by hiring them 
to help around the store and teaching them the value of a dollar.
  You would think with all of this teaching going on there would not be 
room for much else in Mama Ruby's life, but Ruby gives her time freely 
to community activities and outreach ministries. Ruby is currently 
serving as an active, committed, and dedicated member of Les-Grandes 
Soeurs Social Club of Lambert, Marks, and Crenshaw, Mississippi, as 
well as in Memphis, TN. Here she serves on the planning committee in 
Marks, MS. The purpose of Les-Grandes Soeurs Social Club is to serve as 
big sisters in time of need, to provide training, recreational, social, 
and cultural activities for the community, and provide educational 
support through scholarship. Mama Ruby is a board member of Trinity 
Community Center and the Quitman County Development Organization of 
Marks, MS. She also served as chairman for the 2019 Annual September 
Song Festival. These experiences are not all that make Ruby an amazing 
person. Ruby believes this path was chosen for her, not by her. By 
following this path, Ruby has excelled at every stage in her life. Mama 
Ruby ``got faith'' . . . faith found because of God's love for her is 
the love she has shared with others.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ruby 
Montgomery for her dedication to serving her community and this great 
state.