Legacy of Generosity

As the new school year kicks off across the country this month, I have spent some time reflecting on my teaching experience.  One student in particular stands out to me for many reasons.  Her name was Mary Ruth Miller.

When I joined the faculty at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in the mid 1970s, Mary Ruth Miller was one of my first students.  I was a young and inexperienced college professor, and Mary Ruth was an adult student in one of my classes. In fact, by the time I had her as a student, she was already a grandmother.  I was apprehensive about how to handle adult students.  If only I had known then what I know now, I would have realized that the least of my worries would be the disruption caused by Mary Ruth!

Our lives crossed paths several times throughout the years.  In fact, one of her grandchildren was a student of my wife’s when Marva was teaching middle school.  Mary Ruth Miller passed away last spring, and as I look back on her life, I realize there are many dimensions worth recognizing.  The trait that continues to stand out to me is the quiet, selfless generosity with which she lived her life.

You’d rarely see her name mentioned, but Mary Ruth gave of her time and resources to many charitable causes, including her church and the local Meals-On-Wheels.  Even though she was hardly ever at the forefront, her influence could not go unnoticed by those with whom she interacted.

I’m inspired by her legacy of generosity, her quiet, steady testimony to a job well-done, and her virtue of helping others in their times of need.

Kent Stroman,
America’s ASKing Coach