Ruth Doris Miles:
The Pieces of a Beautiful Life
Ruth Doris Miles was born on November 5, 1944, in Middlebrook, Missouri, to Elmer and Agnes Warren. When she was two years old, her parents built a house on Russellville Road, off Highway 72, near Arcadia, Missouri. One memorable moment from her childhood was climbing onto the roof after her father, which required him to rescue her.
As a young girl, Ruth enjoyed riding horses and has fond memories of visiting her girlfriends’ homes to ride as often as possible. She spent her childhood and early years growing up in the local area.
Ruth’s first job was washing hair at RuthAnn’s Beauty Shop on Russell Street in Ironton. At 18, she began working at The Baptist Home, a place she always felt she would want to live in her later years. She started in the kitchen washing dishes and later took on various roles in the dietary department.
On June 5, 1965, Ruth married Robert Miles. The night before their wedding, they shared a unique experience—going “frogging” at his uncle’s farm on Shepherd Mountain Road—catching frogs with a gig. After their wedding, Robert joined the Air Force, and the couple moved to Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, where they lived for a year and a half.
Ruth and Robert had three children—two sons, Robbie and Jim, and a daughter, Beth. Their family grew to include six grandsons and one granddaughter. They shared 43 years of marriage before Robert’s passing.
Throughout her career, Ruth held various positions, which included working at Monarch, an insurance company, as well as for the mayor and city clerk in St. Charles. She also spent 15 years doing office work at Brasch Manufacturing. She attended Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, majoring in Home Economics with a minor in Math.
At the age of twelve, Ruth accepted Jesus as her Savior at a small storefront church in north Ironton, which was affiliated with the United Baptist Church in Glover, Missouri. Later in life, at the age of 43, she rededicated her life to Jesus at First Baptist Church of Wentzville, Missouri.
Now a resident at Baptist Homes of Arcadia Valley, Ruth holds the beloved title of “Puzzle Queen.” She enjoys reading, visiting with friends, and cherishing her role as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Living in the area where she grew up brings her joy, and she appreciates the many friends and family members who visit her regularly.
