Obituary of Ruby I. Sterling

Ruby I. Sterling, 89, of Belleair Beach, FL and formerly of Canton and Ulster Park, died Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at Belleair Health Care Center in Clearwater, FL.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, December 11  from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00 PM  at Lawrence Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 21 Park Street, Canton.  Her funeral will be Thursday, December 12 at 11:00 AM at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Heuvelton.  A luncheon will follow the burial at the AMVETS in Heuvelton.

Ruby was born August 3, 1930 in Hammond, NY, a daughter of the late Joseph H. and Barbara (Brotherston) Murdock; she attended Heuvelton Schools and earned her G.E.D. in 1965.

On October 3, 1948, she married the late Perry W. Sterling in the Heuvelton Presbyterian Church with Rev. Allen G. Bowering as celebrant.

Ruby retired from Heuvelton Central School where she worked in the cafeteria for 19 years and enjoyed seeing the students every day.  With her husband, she also operated the family dairy farm and prepared income taxes.

Surviving are a son William (Jody) Sterling of Ulster Park, NY; two daughters, Barbara (Kevin) McMinn of Henrietta, NY and Debra (Thomas Duffy) Sterling of Belleair Beach, FL, sisters Barbara Hand, Luella Robinson and sister-in-law Beatrice Murdock; four grandchildren, Michael Sterling, Alison Sterling, Gabriel Miller and Regina Redden and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by brothers Stewart Murdock, Robert Murdock, Ernest Murdock, Lyle Murdock, William Murdock and an infant sister, Roberta.

Ruby was a member of DePeyster Grange, Pomona Grange, DePeyster Methodist UMW, Town of Esopus United Methodist Church and the Craft Club in the Birches of Esopus.  She enjoyed bingo, making knitted hats for kindergarten students and various craft projects.

Ruby and Perry moved to Farmer Street, Canton in 1993 from DePeyster.  She then moved to Ulster Park in 2009 and Belleair Beach in 2018. Ruby also volunteered for a number of years at the long-term ward at A. Barton Hepburn Hospital in Ogdensburg.  She enjoyed camping especially at Black Lake and Cranberry Lake.  She was a Yankees baseball fan, but thoroughly loved precious time spent with her children and grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family memorial contributions are suggested to the DePeyster United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 11, DePeyster, NY  13633.

Condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.lawrencefuneralhome.org