Ruth Buckner

ABINGDON, Va. – Ruth Helen Laughter Buckner, age 83, a resident of Mendota Road, achieved her goal of meeting her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at her home.
Mrs. Buckner passed from this life to her Heavenly Home with the love of her life, her husband, Ed, at her side.
She was born July 23, 1925, in Skyland, N.C., a daughter of the late John and Fannie Laughter. She and her husband lived in Burnsville, N.C., until 1968 when they moved to Abingdon. Ed and Ruth owned and operated the Tween River Mountain Dairy Farm on the North Fork of the Holston River. They retired from the dairy business in 1993, but continued to operate a beef farm. She was a faithful member of Abingdon Bible Church, but most of all, she was faithful to her Lord. She loved her children and especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was blessed with the art and love of cooking and folks were always welcome at her table. She was an avid gardener, enjoyed canning and was an accomplished seamstress. She will be greatly missed by all her family and a host of great friends.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Traci Pearson; one brother, James Laughter; and two sisters, Betty Wilson and Grace Buie.
Survivors include her husband, best friend and caregiver, Edward T. Buckner; two daughters, Juliene Arnold and husband Ronnie of Bristol Virginia, and Carolyn Arthur and husband James Nathan III of Arden, N.C.; two sons, James "Jimmy" Buckner and wife Lavonne of Burnsville and Michael Buckner and wife, the Rev. Terry Leigh of Wilmington, N.C.; one brother, John Harvey Laughter and wife Ester of Pensacola, Fla.; two sisters, Louise Reems of Ashville, N.C., and Barbara Pepper of Somerset, Ky.; a brother-in-law, Harold Buie of Huntsville, Ala.; a special sister-in-law, Kathryn Buckner Nichols of Knoxville, Tenn.; an adopted son, Randy LaForce of Abingdon, Va.; eight grandchildren, Michelle Browder and husband Trevor, Melissa Arnold, Sarah Arnold, Nanette Clardy, Kimberly Ward and husband James, James Nathan Arthur IV and wife Jessica, Tyler Buckner and Amanda Buckner; a grandson-in-law, Tracy Pearson; and six great-grandchildren, Nathan Clardy, Tonya and Kaitlyn Ward, Logan Browder, Shayla Arnold and James N. Arthur V.
The family would like to extend their thanks to South West Nursing for the wonderful care they gave to our wife and mother and special thanks to Celesta Harris, Donna Carter and Patrick Daughtery and all his staff at North Gate Pharmacy, Bill and Sue Mullins, Philip and Sue Robinson, Eddie and Susie McConnell and Monica Fuller.
A celebration of the life and homegoing of Ruth Helen Laughter Buckner will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, 2009, in the Frost Funeral Home Chapel, with Dr. Paul Bufford, the Rev. Jerry A. Eggers and Bill Mullins officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Hills Memory Gardens. The family will receive friends on Friday evening from 6 to 8 at the Frost Funeral Home.
Active pallbearers will be Jack Long, Jim Vickers, Bill McCall, Eddie McConnell, Jack Taylor, Garry Smith, Doug Trivitt and Mark Hobbs. Honorary pallbearers will be Don Campbell, Gary Foran, Dr. Ellison Conrad, Dr. Tim McGarry, Dr. Martin Monahan, Dr. William Handy and Phillip Robinson.
Online condolences can be submitted at www.frostfuneralhome.com. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made in the form of contributions to the Benevolent Fund of Abingdon Bible Church, P.O. Box 843, Abingdon, VA 24212, in memory of Ruth Helen Laughter Buckner.
Frost Funeral Home, 250 E. Main St., Abingdon, Va., (276) 628-2131, is serving the Buckner family.