Harrell dedicated life to helping others

A person with a big heart and a passion to help others is the way people described Flomaton resident Ida Ruth Harrell, who died Friday, Dec. 31.

Harrell, 81, was a native of Owassa, Ala., and a life-long resident of the Flomaton community. She was a member of the Flomaton Lions Club, the Escambia County Health Care Authority and the D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital board. She was also a member of the Nursing Hall of Fame at the University of Alabama.

Jo Nolin, Harrell's sister, said the two had a special bond. Harrell was 10 years old when Jo was born.

"When they brought me home, she took me to raise," Nolin said. "She helped me raise my children. Begin a nurse, she was always there for me."

That sibling bond grew even closer in 1994 when Jo gave Harrell a sister a kidney.

"She had very small kidneys," Nolin said.

She said finding a match for a transplant wasn't easy.

"We were not a good match at all," Nolin said. "But getting a kidney from a living relative was better than a cadaver kidney. It was not a hard decision to make. If things had been switched, she would have donated me one of her kidneys."

Nolin said her sister was very community oriented and would do anything to help other people. She said while her sister will be remembered for all the things she did for the community, to her she will be remembered as a sister and great friend.

"I'm going to miss her," she said. "We will be with each other in eternity. God's in control."

"Ruth has always been high energy, driven, determined and tireless in her efforts to work on behalf of the healthcare needs of the citizens of Escambia County," said Chris Griffin, CEO and secretary of the Escambia County Health Care Authority. "Her impact on our county is unquantifiable. Ruth's passing leaves us with a significant void on the Escambia County Healthcare Authority Board, as well as in Escambia County."

"Ruth has always been a mentor and great friend to me since I joined the organization in 2003," Griffin said. "She has always been supportive, encouraging, straightforward and completely honest in our relationship, even when we might disagree on the matter at hand."

"Ruth has been there for me when I have needed her and has helped me navigate through the many rural healthcare storms that have popped up over the years," Griffin added. "I will truly miss Ruth and our friendship."

"What a fine Christian lady she was," said Debbie Rowell, chairwoman of the health care authority. "Her contributions to our board and to all citizens of Escambia County, in regard to healthcare, will be greatly missed."

Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant, Jr., said he will always have a special place in his heart for Harrell.

Bondurant recalled in 1996 he was sick and spent a few weeks in the hospital. When he was at home recuperating, Ida Ruth came to his house.

"She had a prayer with me with oil, just like they did with Jesus in the Bible," Bondurant said. "About two months ago I called her and told her how much she meant to me. She helped make me what I am today."

"Ruth Harrell meant the world to me," Bondurant added. "She was the sister I didn't have. She was a great lady for our city, county and state."

Bo Brantley said while he's known Mrs. Harrell for more years than he can remember, their relationship grew tighter in 1996 when Larry White nominated and the county commission placed the two on the Escambia County Health Care Authority.

Brantley said Harrell's knowledge of the healthcare system and her contacts from Montgomery to Washington were a great asset to not only the people of Escambia County, but the state of Alabama as well.

"She added a lot to the authority because she knew so many people," Brantley said. "She was very serious about the financial situation of the hospitals and how that would affect health care."

Brantley said Harrell was very instrumental in getting the ambulance stationed in Flomaton and very instrumental in getting the first EMT/paramedic stationed at construction sites across the state of Alabama.

He said nursing was her passion, noting that she served as director of nursing at Abernathy Hospital in Flomaton.

"She will definitely be missed," Brantley said.

Brantley said Harrell was a year behind him at Flomaton High School and his wife was a year behind her, with the three graduating in 1956, 57 and 58 respectively.

"She went on to bigger and greater things," Brantley said.

Like Brantley, Larry White said he's known Mrs. Harrell all his life and like others, said she was totally dedicated to healthcare.

White said he recalled when he was on the county commission and the position on the healthcare authority came open, he knew there was nobody more qualified that Ruth Harrell. He nominated Harrell and Brantley as the same time and both were approved by the commission.

"Ruth had been so involved in public health for the state and the town," White said. "She was so well respected in her field and did a great job.

He added that Harrell and Brantley were both instrumental in the construction of the Flomaton Medical Center and bringing the ambulance to Flomaton.

"I considered her a close friend," White said. "You never heard anyone say a bad word about Ruth Harrell. She had grit, drive, knowledge. She had it all."

Griffin said another of Harrell's greatest accomplishments for health care in the county was the establishment of the Wheels of Wellness program that provides transportation service for expectant mothers and pediatric patients throughout the county. Without the program, many of the low-income patients would go without proper medical care due to the lack of reliable transportation.

Harrell was a member of the Assembly of God Church in Atmore and was preceded in death by her son, Marcus Jackson O'Gwynn.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Johnny Harrell of Flomaton; one brother, Bob Traweek of Houston, Texas; and one sister, Jo (David) Nolin of Flomaton.

Services for Mrs. Harrell will be held by her family at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Harrell's memory to the Flomaton Lions Club for a nursing scholarship to be awarded to a high school senior. Donations can be made by mailing checks to the Flomaton Lions Club, P.O. Box 194, Flomaton, Ala., 36441.