Rubye Vest

  General Notes:

The 1930 Federal Census, Dist 7, Smithville Township, Southport, Brunswick County, NC, page 39A records Ruby Vest (16) living with her mother, the widow Maggie Vest (54-NC) with Maggie's son, Glenn [Albert] Trunnell (22-NC). They are renting a home on Davis Street. Maggie is a Seamstress working at home while Glenn is a Launchman for a Dredge Boat. Maggie is first married at age 26.

Note: Checking previuos census records indicate that by 1920 Maggie Vest is a widow. The 1920 Federal Census, Dist 21, Smithville Twp., Brunswick County, NC, page 93A records Maggie Vest (42-widow) living with children Hazel (16) and Glenn (12) Trunnell and Ruby Vest (6) in the rented home of her brother, Fletcher A. Westcott (51-NC).

Obituary for Mrs. Rubye Swain in Wilmington Star-News (Nov/5/2004):
Mrs. Rubye Swain, 91, of 719 E. Moore Street, Southport, died Wednesday, November 3, 2004, at her residence. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 5, 2004, at Northwood Cemetery with Rev. Wayne Trexler officiating.
Mrs. Swain was born August 12, 1913, in Southport, daughter of the late Henry W. and Margaret (Maggie) Wescott Trunnell Vest.
While accompanying her late uncle Fletcher Wescott to his farm at the age of four or five she was allowed to plant some cotton in the corner of a field. What the family called Rubyes cotton patch was the beginning of a life long love of gardening and plants. Wherever she lived she had gardens; always seeking new plants and trading with friends and fellow gardeners. In the fifties, while running an office for her husbands construction business, she began selling plants out of a small greenhouse alongside the building on Howe Street. In 1964, she started Swaynes Flower Shoppe with her family and grew plants for the business for the next 38 years.
She was the widow of the late Dearmond Swain and was also preceded in death by a sister, Hazel Fullwood and a brother, Glen Trunnel.
Survivors include a daughter, Valerie Swain Boera and husband Richard, posted in Turkey; a son Robin Dale Swain and wife Judy of Southport; 3 grandchildren, Sonya Mitchell, Jennifer Swain of Southport, Ryan Boera, posted in Iceland; 3 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Estelle Swain of Winston-Salem, NC; a brother-in-law, Benny Swain of Pensacola, FL; a niece and close friend, Teresa Fullwood Ward.
From an early age, she was an avid reader and enjoyed sewing, knitting and crocheting.
The family will receive friends at the residence, 719 E. Moore Street in Southport.
The family would like to give special thanks to Evelyn King, Mary Bougus, the staff of Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter, and her caregivers, Ramona, Breege, Lib, Pat, Carolyn for the loving care she received during her illness.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter, 725-A Wellington Ave., Wilmington, or Southport Baptist Church.
Peacock-Newnam funeral & Cremation Service, Southport.

Rubye married Dearmond Swain, son of James Dean Swain and Marie (Mary) Eva Spencer. (Dearmond Swain was born on 11 Nov 1918 in Brunswick Co., NC, died on 2 Jan 2000 in Wilmington, New Hanover Co., NC and was buried in Northwood Cemetery, Southport, Brunswick County, NC.)