jarutha (ruth) Watkins Lang
1905-2000
Life Story
Early Life in Newton County
Jarutha Ruth Watkins was born on June 29, either 1905 or 1906, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Johnie “John” (“Babe”) Watkins and Angeline Lay Watkins. While her Social Security records identify her birth year as 1905, some family records report 1906, a difference not uncommon among individuals born in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century.
Ruth grew up in the close-knit farming communities of Newton County, where family, faith, and hard work shaped everyday life. She shared her childhood with siblings Clara, Estella (“Nanna”), Spencer, Willie, Dave, Rosie Lee, and Mary Lee, learning from an early age the responsibilities that came with life in a large agricultural household.
Federal census records from her youth contain variations in her given name, reflecting the inconsistencies often found in early twentieth-century recordkeeping. Despite these differences, the records consistently place her within the Watkins family of Beat 1 and Beat 4, where she completed approximately a fourth-grade education before assuming the responsibilities of adult life.
Marriage, Motherhood, and Hard Work
During the late 1920s, Ruth married Roy Viverette, and together they established their home in Beat 4 of Newton County.
Their marriage produced a large family that included:
- Louise (Lucille) Edwards
- Ruby Lee Jackson
- Sarah Ford
- Luther Viverette
- Elijah Sam Viverette
- Dock Viverette
- Johnnie Viverette
Like many African American women during the Great Depression, Ruth balanced motherhood with outside employment whenever necessary to help support her family.
The 1940 United States Census records her working as a private household maid, averaging 36 hours per week and completing 20 weeks of paid work during 1939. Her employment illustrates the determination of countless women who supplemented family income while continuing to shoulder the daily responsibilities of raising children and maintaining a household.
A Brief Chapter in Hattiesburg
During the early 1940s, Ruth and Roy joined many Mississippi families who temporarily relocated in search of economic opportunity.
The 1944 Hattiesburg City Directory lists the family residing at 220 Fredna Avenue, where Roy Viverette was employed as a salesman. Like other Newton County families who spent time in Hattiesburg during the World War II years, their stay appears to have been temporary. The city’s expanding wartime economy offered employment opportunities that drew workers from surrounding rural counties before many eventually returned home.
Returning to Newton County
Following their years in Hattiesburg, Ruth and Roy Viverette’s marriage came to an end. In 1945, the Chancery Court granted Ruth a divorce on the grounds of habitual cruel and inhuman treatment, awarding her custody of their six minor children. The court’s decision marked the beginning of a new chapter in Ruth’s life, one in which she assumed primary responsibility for raising her family.
After the divorce, Ruth returned to Newton County, where she relied on the support of her extended family and the community in which she had been raised. Surrounded by relatives and lifelong friends, she continued providing a stable home for her children while rebuilding her life.
A New Beginning
In later years, Ruth married Simon Lang, beginning a new chapter while remaining deeply rooted in the Newton County community that had shaped her since childhood.
Her second marriage brought renewed companionship, but Ruth’s greatest devotion remained her family. Having overcome personal hardship while raising her children, she became known not only as a devoted mother but also as a woman whose kindness reached far beyond her own household.
Those who knew Ruth remembered her generous spirit, her willingness to care for neighbors who were ill or in need, and the quiet strength with which she met life’s challenges. These qualities, together with her steadfast faith and deep commitment to family, earned her the respect and affection of all who knew her.
Faith and Service
Faith was the cornerstone of Ruth’s life.
She became a devoted member of Sylvester Methodist Church, where she actively participated in the church’s women’s ministries and missionary work. Her service reflected a lifelong commitment to helping others, whether through church activities or by quietly caring for neighbors who were sick or in need.
Among family and friends, Ruth was also remembered for her hospitality and her famous homemade snowball syrup, a simple tradition that became part of the family’s cherished memories and reflected the warmth she shared with those around her.
Final Years
Ruth Watkins Lang passed away on September 2, 2000, at the age of ninety-four (or ninety-five, depending on the birth year used).
Her funeral service was held on September 9, 2000, at Mapp Funeral Home Chapel in Forest, Mississippi, followed by burial at Sylvester Methodist Church Cemetery in Newton County.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Dave and Will; her sisters Clara and Rosie; her son Johnnie Viverette; and sons-in-law Marshall Edwards and J. C. Jackson.
Legacy
Ruth Watkins Lang belonged to a generation of women whose lives were defined by quiet service rather than public recognition.
Throughout nearly a century of life, she devoted herself to raising a family, supporting her household through honest work, serving her church, and caring for neighbors in times of need. Whether working as a domestic employee during difficult economic years, following employment opportunities to Hattiesburg, or returning home to Newton County, Ruth remained grounded in the values she had learned as a child.
She leaves behind a legacy measured not only in descendants but also in the countless acts of kindness that touched the lives of family, friends, and neighbors. Her willingness to serve, her compassion for those who were suffering, and the simple joys she created—from church work to sharing her homemade snowball syrup—remain enduring reminders that a life of quiet faithfulness can have a profound and lasting impact.
Today, her story stands as a tribute to the resilience, generosity, and unwavering faith of the women who helped sustain Mississippi’s rural African American communities throughout the twentieth century.
Research Note
Ruth Watkins Lang’s life is documented through federal census records, the 1944 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, City Directory, Social Security records, church records, and her obituary. Early census records contain variations in her given name and her reported birth year differs between Social Security and family records. These discrepancies are typical of early twentieth-century records and do not diminish the consistent documentary evidence identifying her as a daughter of Johnie and Angeline Watkins.
Resting Place
Sylvester United Methodist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 U.S. Federal Census records, Newton County, Mississippi.
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi, City Directory, 1944.
- Social Security records.
- Obituary of Ruth Watkins Lang, September 2000.
- Sylvester Methodist Church records.
- Family genealogical records of the Watkins, Viverette, and Lang families.
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