Ladye Ruth Casner

Ladye Ruth Burch Casner, 88, peacefully entered the Kingdom of Heaven on November 4, 2020. She never lost her sweet spirit and kind heart, even after a decade lived with dementia. A Graveside Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, November 9, at Oakwood Cemetery. Ladye Ruth was born on September 23, 1932, in Booneville, Mississippi, to Henry Alfred and Mary Katherine Johnson Burch, into a family of teachers. Her parents’ influence was of utmost importance in her decision to become a teacher. Her family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1946 to operate the Best Court Motor Inn. She loved the people and beauty of Hot Springs and thrived there. She graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1950 after receiving the American Legion School Award, serving as Homecoming Queen and participating in Arkansas Girls State. She represented the city as Miss Hot Springs in 1951 and was also presented as a debutante at the Belvedere Country Club that same year. She then attended Baylor University and graduated in 1954. During her freshman year she met a handsome football player in her history class, Ken Casner, who would become her husband. While at Baylor, she was chosen by her class as the “Freshman Football Queen,” Try-C Sweetheart, rodeo queen nominee, and R.O.T.C. colonel. She was also selected as a Baylor Beauty for two years. She served as president and a homecoming nominee of the Alpha Omega Club (now Pi Beta Phi sorority) and was selected to membership in Who’s Who in American Universities her senior year. Ladye Ruth began her teaching career in 1954-1955 in Corpus Christi. On June 25, 1955, she married her college sweetheart, Ken Casner. She then taught second and third grades a total of thirty-one years at several Waco ISD schools, including fourteen years at Mountainview. Ladye Ruth felt a sense of accomplishment at having spent her life doing what she loved the most - caring and interacting with young people. She touched many lives through her kind and gentle nature. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional society for women educators. She and Ken were faithful members of Lake Shore Baptist Church since October 1961, when the church was two years old. She was a devoted member of her Women’s Bible Study and her Sunday School class. She loved helping serve and cook dinners for the Wednesday night gatherings. Many of her closest friends were members of Lake Shore. She continued to talk about her church and support it financially even though her declining health prevented her from attending. She was proceeded in death by her son, Kenny Casner, who died at age 9 of leukemia in 1965; Kenneth Wayne Casner, her husband of fifty-four years; her parents; and her son-in-law, Michael Goodrich. She is survived by her daughter, Kathy Casner Goodrich of Arlington; and two devoted granddaughters, Kate Goodrich of Austin and Laura Ruth Goodrich of Denver, Colorado. If desired, donations may be made to Lake Shore Baptist Church, 5801 Bishop Drive, Waco TX 76710. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.