Ruth Janice (Cassell) Stone (DeDame)

Ruth J (Cassell) Stone – “DeDame” went home peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior on February 11, 2022. She was born February 28, 1932, to James and Ethel (Thompson) Cassell. She was a faithful member of Trinity AME Church where she served the Lord in many capacities, such as Sunday School teacher, Superintendent of Sunday School, Steward, and the longest as church pianist. Of the many church ministries she had, her biggest was bringing people to church and Sunday School. She was known to make several trips to Lincoln Park each Sunday to pick up kids to take them to Sunday School and would often stop people saying good morning to her as entered the church and invite them to join her and if they couldn’t, she would always extend a welcome invitation to them to visit and even join if they didn’t have a church home.  At one point she discovered that she had taken over 100 kids to Sunday School. She did not just stop at that, in addition to playing for Trinity, she also played for Faith Baptist Church and the Men’s Chorus at Covenant UMC. She was retired from Wright Patterson AFB after 35 years of working and more recently retired from Springfield City Hall where she worked as the telephone receptionist. She was also one of the founding members of the neighborhood organization known as SNAP and was instrumental in organizing Dumpster Day were twice during the year each neighborhood organization was given dumpsters so residents could give rid of old furniture and trash free of charge. They assisted people who needed help with paying utilities or buying groceries. They purchased shoes, hats, gloves, and coats for Emerson School as well as monetary contributions to South High for kids who needed assistance paying their fees to play sports. But the biggest thing they were remembered for was the annual festival at the Selma Rd Park. Ruth leaves to honor and cherish her life a daughter, Elizabeth Tucker of Springfield, 2 grandsons Allen (Anita) Tucker of Kenosha, WI, and Jason Tucker of Springfield; 7 great-grandkids, Raphael (Jayme) Stewart, and Taylor Tucker of Kenosha, WI; Ricardo Stewart, Calvin (Shaniqua) Stewart, Sr, Shaniqua (Jeffery) Ward Murdock, Antone Youngblood, III and Ceyion Forrest all of Springfield; 7 great-great grandkids Malakai and Michael Stewart of Kenosha, WI, Calvin Stewart, Jr, Carson Stewart, Ariyella and Kaiden Youngblood, and Marshae McKinney all of Springfield and Godmother to Earl, Frank, and Roger Duncan and Susie Duncan Hammonds,  special niece Kathleen Lowery, special great-nephews Eric, Jeffery, Sean, and Robyn Lollis, a host of family members and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents James and Ethel Cassell, 5 brothers James (Jack) and Richard (Dick) Adams, Roger, George (Bud), and John Cassell and 5 sisters Pauline Starks, Martha Lowery, Catherine (Tad) Bradford, Marilyn Jackson, and Elizabeth Ann Cassell. Service for Ruth Stone will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church 1171 S. Yellow Springs, Street, Springfield, Ohio. Visitation will be 9:00 am until the time of service which will be at 10:00 am with Rev. Dr. Peggy Turner officiating. Interment will follow at Ferncliff Cemetery, Springfield, Ohio.

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