Ruth Settles Obituary

Ruth Settles Abbeville, SC - Beloved mother and grandmother, Ruth Ann Cabell Settles, 90, retired teacher and guidance counselor, died September 13, 2022 while in residence at The Renaissance in Due West, SC. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 43 years, George W. Settles, Jr. of Abbeville, SC. Born in Asheville, NC on March 14, 1932, Ruth was the daughter of the late Roy Edward and Mate Elizabeth Morrow Cabell of Salt Lake City, UT. Ruth moved west with her family at an early age, where she and her surviving brother, Roy Edward (Ed) Cabell, Jr., were raised by their loving parents in AZ, CO and UT. Ruth attended Colorado State University (Colorado A&M) in Fort Collins, CO, where she met her future husband, George, while he was stationed at the Francis E. Warren Air Base near Cheyenne, WY. Ruth and George were married on June 5, 1953 in Fort Collins, CO. Their first child, Russell Lee Settles, was born April 21, 1954 in Cheyenne, but they soon returned to George's native area of Oconee County and Anderson County, SC following his honorable discharge, where they both enrolled in Clemson College. The family moved to Abbeville, SC in 1956-57, where they had daughter, Debbie Anne (Dec. 4, 1957) and David Edward (Apr. 14, 1959), where George operated and eventually owned the local radio station WABV. After many years of hard work and determination raising three children, teaching and lots of night school, Ruth received a BS from Erskine College in 1974 and a Master's of Education from Clemson University in 1980. Ruth dedicated her life to her family, community and education. She was actively involved in the affairs of her students, at WABV, The Abbeville Little Theater, The Abbeville Opera House and The Opera House Players, Trinity Episcopal Church, Abbeville High School and Cambridge Academy (Greenwood, SC). Upon moving to Charleston, she fell in love with and became an active member at Old Saint Andrews Parish Church, where she especially enjoyed playing in the hand bell choir. Ruth is survived by her brother, Roy E. (Ed) Cabell, Jr. and his wife, LaVerne (Cortez, CO), son, Russell Lee Settles and wife, Tammy, (Charlotte, NC), daughter, Debbie Settles Stelling and husband, Tommy Stelling (Charleston, SC) and family (Eddie, Erin and great-granddaughter, McKinley Stelling (Turbeville, SC), Rachel Stelling Madden and husband Tom Madden (Charleston, SC) and son, David Settles and wife, Rebecca (Atlanta, GA) and family, Patterson Settles (Nashville, TN), Virginia Settles (Nashville, TN) and Jack Settles (Athens, GA). Memorial services will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 Church St., Abbeville, SC on Friday, September 23, 2022 at 2:00 PM. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Abbeville, SC. Memorials and donations in lieu of flowers may be made to either of the following: Preservation Fund for Trinity Episcopal Church on their website at www.trinityabbeville.org or through the Preservation South Carolina https://preservesc.org/trinity-church or, Old Saint Andrews Parish Church, 2604 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414. Online condolences may be made to the Settles family by visiting www.chandlerjacksonfh.com. Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting the Settles family. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston