Ruby McKnight, 91, of Athens, died Thursday morning, Feb. 7, 2008, at Sweetwater Nursing Center.

She was born in Moscow, Tenn., and her family moved to Pontotoc County, Miss., early in her life, She married Doyle McKnight in 1933, and they lived and farmed in Mississippi until they and their two boys moved to Memphis at the end of 1951. During several of her years as a farm wife in Mississippi, she also worked full-time in a shirt factory in Ecru, Miss. She lived and worked in Memphis for 43 years. She worked at the West Tennessee Cancer Clinic in Memphis for several years before her retirement. She resided in Athens since 1995, and was a member of First Baptist Church of Athens. She was preceded in death by her husband, Aubrey Doyle McKnight; her father, Benjamin Franklin Gullick; her mother, Bell Williams Gullick; two brothers, James Gullick and Travis Gullick; and one sister, Pearlie Gullick Williams.

Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Ray and Sara McKnight and Ken and Ruth McKnight, all of Niota; five grandchildren and spouses, Sarita McKnight Daniels and husband, Tony, of Flowery Branch, Ga., Anita McKnight Carr and husband, Mike, of Columbia, S.C., Lisa McKnight Edmisten and husband, Allen, of Clinton, S.C., Kevin McKnight and wife, Suzette, of Niota, and Laveta McKnight Hall and husband, Todd, of Niota; 13 great-grandchildren and spouses, Lindy Daniels Holcomb, Stacy Carr Jordan and husband, Jeff, Eric Carr and wife, Lindsey, Kristen Daniels Stamey and husband, Josh, Hunter Edmisten, Jeremy Daniels and wife, Catherine, Jacob Edmisten, Nathan McKnight, Carissa Edmisten, Ethan Hall, Aubrey Hall, Noble Edmisten and McKenzie Edmisten; six great-great-grandchildren, Haillee Jordan, Anna Jordan, David Jordan, Aaron Jordan, Remington Lee Holcomb and Kiernan Stamey; three brothers and sisters-in-law, B.F. and Nellie Gullick of Olive Branch, Miss., Charles and Billie Gullick of Lindale, Texas, and Norman and Lucy Gullick of Fair Play, S.C.; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Evelyn Gullick Caldwell and husband, Joe, of Murfreesboro, and Irene Gullick Williams of Thaxton, Miss.; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of Laycock-Hobbs Funeral Home with the Rev. Allen Edmisten officiating. Burial will follow in Sewee Cemetery with only the family attending.

The family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Gideon Memorial Bible Fund, P.O. Box 4, Athens, TN 37371-0425.

Those not able to attend may send condolences to mailto:condolences@laycock-hobbs.com