KENNEBUNK – Ruth Avis Webb Stahl, 95, with an angel holding her hand was led peacefully to heaven April 29, 2007. Ruth was born Jan. 14, 1912, in Ludlow. She was one of 12 children born to Lyman and Hattie Beaty Webb, five of whom had died in childhood. She graduated from Houlton High School and began temporary work, where she met a tall, handsome man named Ross Stahl. Ruth left Houlton and moved to Boston, where she attended Fisher School of Business. Ross left for the Navy. She obtained a business degree there and then moved back to Maine, settling in Portland to attend the Golden School of Beauty Culture. After graduation, a classmate, Florence, and Ruth opened a beauty salon known as Modern Beauty. The salon flourished under their leadership. Ruth and Florence traveled to New York for conventions and sought to continually update their skills. Life was busy, successful and happy. Ruth and Ross continued their long distance romance through World War II and in 1943, upon his return to Maine, they were married. Ruth left Portland and moved to Kennebunk with Ross. She helped with the farm, gave birth to a son, John, and while working very hard, she still managed to care for aging parents, her mother and Ross’s mother, through their deaths. She also saw a need for an in-home beauty shop, so she opened her own and named it Ruth’s Beauty Salon, which was directly located on Route 1, just outside of the Village of Kennebunk. She often reminisced about her love of Kennebunk. She said, “When I first saw the town, my heart skipped a bit and I told myself that I would never leave this beautiful place.” She was an active member of the Eastern Star, The Independent Service Club of Kennebunk and Christ Church. With her tireless efforts, many children and adults were helped, given food, education grants and clothing. In her later years, she enjoyed spending countless hours meticulously creating beautiful works of petite needlework art. In her 90s she took up watercolors, and again, proudly presented colorful and artistically sensitive art pieces. She traveled both in the U.S. and abroad, but her greatest love was boating on and through the many waterways of the Maine coast. She could be seen eagerly enjoying a lobster roll whenever the chance arose. John and Nancy thank Beacon Hospice for their tender attentive and loving care of Ruth in her final earthly days, while classical music was played for Ruth and her hand was held; also Kennebunk Nursing Home and Atria Assisted Living, all of whom often comforted her while she lived there. Memorial visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk, where a memorial celebration will be held 11 a.m. with inurnment at Hope Cemetery, Kennebunk. In lieu of flowers, please remember Beacon Hospice of York, 42 Brickyard Court, York, ME 03909. Arrangements under the direction of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk. www.bibberfuneral.com
RUTH AVIS WEBB STAHL
