Ruth Bratcher

Ruth Bratcher, of Artesia, NM passed into the arms of Jesus on Monday afternoon, March 4, 2024. 

Family visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Friday afternoon, March 8 at Terpening Mortuary. Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, with Ty Houghtaling officiating. Internment will be at Woodbine Cemetery.

Ruth attended Artesia High School, and was very outgoing. Ruth started dating Alton Bratcher, whom she married December 20, 1953. After high school graduation, Ruth worked for Nelson Grocery and Wise Machinery. She would cook Alton's meals and make a homemade pie every day. This was just the beginning of Ruth's cooking and catering days.

Alton and Ruth purchased Tastee Freez, a drive-in restaurant. Later, the restaurant was remodeled to be a sit-down style restaurant. The name of Tastee Freez changed to Big T and back to Tastee Freez , then eventually to Ruth's Restaurant. Parties by Ruth catered many huge gatherings of all sorts for Navajo, Yates, and many other companies. The entire Bratcher family would help Ruth and Alton feed hundreds of people at a time. Ruth and Alton also had the privilege of feeding the Artesia Bulldog Football team before games and at Football Banquets. Ruth often said that she raised most of the kids in Artesia, or at least fed them in one way or another.

Ruth was also a long time member of the Artesia Altrusa Club, serving as a member for many years. Ruth was also a Past President of Altrusa Club of Artesia. She was an enthusiastic member and hardly ever missed a meeting. In later years, even though Ruth was still a member of Altrusa, she and Nita Lynch served as City wide chairpersons of Operation Christmas Child. Ruth loved Christmas and decorating for it, but she also loved sharing its joy with others, and children. She and Nita packed many Christmas boxes to send to children across the world so that they would learn the love of Jesus.

Survivors of Ruth include sons Kent and wife Sherrie of Artesia; Mike and wife Anne of Conroe, TX; and Greg and wife Kerrie of San Angelo, TX; grandchildren, Klint Bratcher and wife Lauren of Big Spring, TX; Kara Bratcher and Cody Northrup of Roswell, NM; Kevin Bratcher of Helena, MT; Sloane Hunt and husband Dustin of San Angelo, TX, and Zoe Bratcher of Lubbock, TX. Great-grandchildren are Kaden, Josiah, and Jude Bratcher of Big Spring, TX. She is also survived by one brother-in-law, Glenn Dale Bratcher of McLean, VA, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Alton and her daughter Karen Bratcher. She also was preceded in death by her parents, Selmon and Verna Faulk.

Memorials may be made to Operation Christmas Child.

Pallbearers will be Neilan Smith, Jon Henry, Greg Bratcher, Kevin Bratcher, Klint Bratcher, and Dustin Hunt. Honorary Pallbearers will be Kent Whitmire, King Kelley, Larry Lynch, and the Altrusa Club of Artesia.