Ruth Irene Buchanan

Ruth Irene Buchanan, 82, passed away on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at the Amarillo Center for Skilled Care where she lived for the past 5 ½ years. 

Memorial service will be at 10:00 AM, Saturday, September 7, 2024 at Palo Duro Baptist Church in Wildorado. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors. 

She was born in Parnall, TX on April 4, 1942 to Orvel Evin and Pauline Zelma (Hartzog) Luster. Her mother died when she was 2. When she was 4, her daddy married Annie Catherine Conatser who raised her. 

Ruth moved with her family from the Turkey-Quitaque area to Wildorado in 1951. She graduated from Vega High School in 1961. She was very artistic, loved to write poetry, sing, work in her yard, watch and feed birds, and grow flowers. 

Ruth married Raymond Atkins on May 13, 1962. To this marriage, two children were born, Vivian Irene and Richard Edwin Atkins. After Raymond’s death in 1977, she married Sam Buchanan on November 1, 1980.

She is preceded in death by both husbands; her father, Orvel Evin Luster in 1992; her biological mother, Pauline Luster in 1944; four brothers, Baby Boy Luster in 1939, Evin Jr. Luster in 1940, Jessie Thomas Luster in 1945, and Orvel Ray Luster in 2008; her mother, Catherine Luster in 2012; and her sister, Judy Hicks in 2022.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Vivian Lopez and husband Jesse of Vega, TX; son, Ricky Atkins and wife Diana of Vega, TX; sisters, LaNita Balko of Wickett, TX and Linda Browning and husband Sam of Miami, TX; sister-in-law, Rojanna Occhi and husband John of Tucson, AZ; brother-in-law, Paul Hicks of McLean, TX; five grandchildren, Annie Lopez, Jessica Lopez, Bridget Lopez, Christopher Atkins, and Patricia Atkins; six great-grandchildren, Nathaniel Rodriguez, Noah Lara, Elijah Martinez, Niah Austin, Ezziah Austin, and Jessie Lopez.

Memorial services will be held in September and interment will be in Palo Duro Cemetery in Wildorado, TX.

The family would like to extend our sincerest thanks to her epilepsy physician, Dr. Sivaram Sudhaker, to the staff at the Amarillo Center for Skilled Care, and Hospice Staff.