Ruth Abigail Robles was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico on Dec. 8, 1923 to the late Mr. Juan Robles and Regina Rios Robles. She was the youngest of 11 children and the last survivor of her siblings. Her father was the first Protestant minister in Puerto Rico and also worked for the U.S. government as a revenuer during Prohibition. Her mother was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd Eston Slonecker.
She grew up in Fajardo, where her grandparents had a sugarcane plantation. She went to nursing school when she was 17 years old and met her future husband while she was in nursing school. He was a sailor in the U.S. Navy on the USS Yorktown, and he was stationed in Puerto Rico where they met. She was a member of the Nurse Cadet Corps during World War II
She was a registered nurse for 44 years. Lloyd and Ruth had four children, Ronald Slonecker (Shirley), Mike Slonecker (Patty), Lois Casey (Dennis), and Ina Bohannon (the late Lynn Bohannon), eight grandchildren, Stephanie Casey, Ginny Burns (Ray), Brian Casey (Suzy), Katie McCay (Brent), Brendan Casey, Kelly Slonecker, Rachel Bohannon, and Michael Slonecker, five great-grandchildren, Blaine and Thane Burns, Dylan and Logan Casey, and Alyssa McCay.
Funeral service was held Wednesday at High Funeral Home with Coy Hathcock officiating. Burial followed at Jacksonville (Fla.) National Cemetery.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Aug. 29, 2014