On the morning of Saturday, March 21st, 2015, lifelong Granville Center resident Ruth Mae (Smith) Kinney McIntire passed away quietly at the Skilled Nursing Center in Towanda. She was 95 years of age. Born at her family’s Granville Center home 4:00 a.m., August 9th, 1919, she was the daughter of James Roland and Mary (Simpson) Smith. Ruth attended Granville Grammar School and Troy High School, graduating with the class of 1937. After graduation she assisted in the family owned R. J. Smith General Store in Granville Center. In October of 1940 Ruth married William (Bill) Kinney in the Granville Center Church of Christ. They enjoyed forty-eight years together.
Ruth was an outgoing and active lady holding memberships in the Granville Center Golden Rebekah Lodge # 567, she was an eighty year member of the Windfall grange, Granville Center Church of Christ, Granville Center Cemetery association, Granville Oldest House committee, Bradford Old Timers, Troy Farm Museum, LeRoy Heritage Museum, Antique Bottle Club and the Calvary Alliance Chapel of Canton. She enjoyed fifty years as social correspondent for the Canton Independent-Sentinel. Ruth was a great historian, researching many local communities and penning the history of them. Also, she researched the genealogy of the residents, and in 1995 authored “Along The North Branch,” the history of Granville.
Summer days Ruth could be seen at a local ice cream social enjoying her favorite, Chocolate. In the fall she enjoyed the harvest suppers at area churches. Her “little” spare time was spent Crocheting and writing poetry. Much of her crochet work and the wit of her poetry were given as gifts. Ruth enjoyed evenings home with friends playing aggravation, Skit Bo or any other game available. Ruth maintained a large bottle collection in her home, which now can be appreciated at the LeRoy Heritage Museum. In June of 1991 she married Kenneth (Ken) McIntire of Athens, and they enjoyed eleven years together. During that time they established a museum in their Granville Center home, the contents of which are now on display at the LeRoy Heritage Museum. In May of 2011 the museum presented Ruth with the A. T. Lilley Community Service Award.
Ruth’s declining health required her to become a ten month resident of Bradford County Manor and a two year resident of Memorial Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Unit where she passed away.
Ruth is survived by a “very special daughter”, Miss Helena Hoffman of West Chester, Ohio, and a host of friends and neighbors, who are invited to join in honoring Ruth at a candle light service five o’clock p.m. Friday at Morse & Kleese Funeral home, 94 N. Center St., Canton, with Pastor Lee Modlin of the Granville Church officiating. Ruth will eternally rest beside her husband, Bill in the east Canton Cemetery. Remembrances may be directed to Granville Cemetery Association c/o Marcia Martin, 6405 Rt. 514, Granville Summit, Pa., 16926, or the LeRoy Heritage Museum, 8051 Southside Rd., Canton, Pa., 17724
(morseandkleesefuneralhome.com)
