Rubye Maxwell Moss   1927-2025

In the 7th month of 1927, a baby girl was born to Fleet and Cabie Maxwell of the Fair River Community in Lincoln County, MS. Rubye Lee was their 7th and last child.  Throughout her life she was happy and proud of her origins and of all of the 7s in her life. She thought they brought her good fortune.  Even growing up on the family farm during the depression, she recollected she never felt poor. She said they always had family and friends, food, and Fair River Baptist Church. After high school, due to a chance meeting between her father and the president of then, Hinds Jr. College, Rubye was recruited to attend HJC. One day, while working in the college library, she met the man who would become her husband of 60 years, William (Bill) Moss, whom she married at 19.  After her husband finished his advanced degrees, they settled in Raymond, MS, where they raised two daughters and lived happily the rest of their lives.

Being half farm girl and half townie, when their daughters were a bit older, Rubye encouraged Bill to buy acreage outside of town.  So, while they both lived and worked in Raymond, they also raised a few head of cattle, produced hay that they would feed them in winter, pleasure-fished, and occasionally rode the few horses they kept, sometimes staying weekends at the small cabin they built by the pond.

Rubye was one of the pioneering women of her day who worked outside the home most of her adult life, as well as caring for her family.  She was the administrative assistant for the Hinds County Engineer's office in Raymond, and during her time there worked for multiple county engineers.  In summers, she would go to work in the morning, come home and make lunch for her family (most of the vegetables for which she prepared from their home garden), then go back to work for the remainder of the afternoon.  She could make a sewing pattern from scratch, as well as clothes for her daughters' Barbie dolls, and could beautifully play hymns, by ear, on the piano. Her caramel cakes were legendary.  She was proud of her opportunity and ability to work - on her job, for her family, for her community and for her church.

Rubye and Bill Moss joined and became dedicated and regular members of Raymond Baptist Church throughout their adult lives.  Rubye served in a variety of capacities within the church including teaching Sunday School, serving as director of the Woman's Missionary Union and as church historian.

One of her most valued roles within the community was her active participation in the Raymond Culture Club, at one time serving as president.

Rubye and Bill were also blessed with the health and means to travel.  Before the arrival of their daughters and later, with them in tow, they traveled throughout North America, including all 50 of the United States and Canada, and also in Mexico (from which one year, they brought home a burro).  After both retired, they expanded their travels and criss-crossed the globe from Australia and New Zealand to many European countries, and from Japan and Southeast Asia to South America.  They finally said they had gone to all of the places they wanted to visit.

Preceded in death 19 years by her husband, Rubye is survived  by both of her daughters, Janet Boswell (Harry) of Madison, MS and Sandra Warren (David) of Benton, MS, by three grandchildren, Jeremy Case (Delia), of Colorado Springs, CO, Jennifer Case (Brian), of Madison, MS and Kristen Stephenson (Matt) of Jackson, MS, and by four, almost five, great grandchildren - Isaac, Simon, Miriam, Nora, and another baby boy, due on her birthday.

In the 7th month of her 97th year, a family graveside service for Rubye Maxwell Moss will be held on Thursday, the 3rd, Raymond Cemetery, Raymond, MS and she will be laid to rest beside her husband.

The family would like to thank the staff at Martha Coker Greenhouse, particularly the Mariah House, for their compassion and excellent care given to Rubye.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Raymond (https://fbcraymond.org) or Samaritan's Purse (https://www.samaritanspurse.org).