Ruth Pilgrim Latta

Augusta, GA – Ruth Pilgrim Latta (a.k.a. Auntie), beloved wife to Ralph Lilbern Latta and loving daughter, sister, aunt, and cousin, entered into rest on Tuesday, November 4 at the age of 100.

Ruth was born in Six Mile, South Carolina on February 28, 1925 to the late Samuel J. Pilgrim and Ella Bryson Pilgrim.

She was known for her warmth, good humor, and impeccable fashion among friends and family alike. Along with her husband, Ralph, she raised two young boys, Frankie and Roger, as her own sons, becoming a devoted “Auntie” or grandmother to their children.

Ruth was also an exemplary worker, earning numerous letters of recognition from her employers, including the local army commissary, Beck’s Shoes, and JB Whites.

Ruth filled the lives of those who knew her with kindness, a little mischievousness, and a whole lot of love. She enjoyed long road trips to visit friends and family and had a knack for maintaining deep, meaningful relationships, no matter the distance. Her fruit salad, oyster stew, mac and cheese, and walnut cakes were staples at the dinner table and at family reunions. You never left her house hungry—or without watching at least one episode of the Grand Ole Opry, Wheel of Fortune, or Jeopardy.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Latta; her parents, Samuel J. and Ella Bryson Pilgrim; her sister, Elizabeth Johnson; her brothers, Clyde, Leroy, Claude, Herman, and Andrew Pilgrim; and her nephews, Frankie Martin (Mary, Mary II, Frankie II, and Ralph) and Samuel Ray Pilgrim (Victoria and Ethan). She is survived by her nephew, Roger Pilgrim (Brigitte); great-niece and nephew, Tabatha Thompson (Charles and Charlie) and Dante Pilgrim (Trista and Jack); and a number of other loving nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held on Friday, November 7th at 2:00 pm in the chapel of Thomas Poteet & Son, with Rev. Don Prosser officiating. Interment will follow in Bellevue Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306, or via t2t.org/donate.

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The family will receive friends on November 7th at 1:00 pm, one hour prior to the service at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com.