Ruth Cemetery
The Ruth community was about midway between Stovall Valley and Henson Creek at the foot of Henson Mountain, on the Gatesville to Killeen Public Road. Settlement dates to 1853 with the abandonment of Fort Gates by the U.S. Army. Settlers moved out of Fort Gates and formed small settlements for self-protection. South Carolina native J. J. Stovall settled in the area in the 1850s. The Ruth Cemetery is on part of his land. The Ruth community had a cotton gin, general stores, blacksmith shop and a post office established in 1885 with J. C. Black as postmaster. A one-room school operated on the east side of farmers branch, on 1/2 acre donated by the George “Juber” Brown and William “Bill” Brown families. The schoolhouse was also used for Methodist, Baptist, Primitive Baptist and Church of Christ services. Ruth school consolidated with Ewing in 1910.
Ruth Cemetery was established on land the Jud Jones family dedicated. The oldest dated gravestone is that of J. J. Stovall, who died April 27, 1878. A 1978 cemetery survey recorded 87 graves. The general landscape of Ruth Cemetery is traditional in nature, with burials oriented east-west and grave markers of granite, limestone, field stone, concrete and metal. A few plots are curbed. Three burials were permitted after Fort Hood was established in 1942, since spouses were already buried here. Interments are no longer permitted. The Ruth Cemetery is now in the Fort Hood military reservation live fire area, and is only accessible to the public on the Sunday before Memorial Day. Fort Hood provides maintenance with two mowings scheduled annually. There is no cemetery association. The cemetery is the last remaining vestige of the Ruth community.