Jarusha Henrietta Denson Edwards, better known as Ruth (July 3, 1893 - April 25, 1978) was a figure in the

Sacred Harp Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tune ...

movement. Edwards was the youngest daughter of Thomas Jackson and Amanda Denson; she learned shape note music from her parents. A native of Carrollton,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, she was raised near Helicon,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

before attending high school in Cullman. She graduated with honors from

Peabody College Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development (also known as Vanderbilt Peabody College, Peabody College, or simply Peabody) is the education school of Vanderbilt University, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

. In 1917 she married salesman Lewis D. Edwards; the couple was childless, and later divorced. Edwards taught elementary school in Cullman for forty-five years, moving to

Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...

upon her retirement in 1962. For many years a member of the chorus at Cullman's First Methodist Church, she was active for much of her life in the Sacred Harp movement, sitting on the revision committees of 1960 and 1966, chairing the 1967 United Convention, and serving for many years as the secretary of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company. She also composed hymns; among her tunes are "Infinite Day", "New Georgia", and "Thou Art God". She continued to lead Sacred Harp sings well into her old age. Edwards was buried in

Double Springs Double Springs is a town in Winston County, Alabama, United States. The city is the county seat of Winston County. The county seat was initially located at Houston, but by referendum in 1883, Double Springs prevailed and it was removed to there. ...

, at Fairview Cemetery; in the

Alabama Music Hall of Fame The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a facility after a statewide referendu ...

she is listed as a "music achiever". A memorial singing was held in her honor in 1981.

References

1893 births 1978 deaths People from Carrollton, Georgia People from Cullman, Alabama American hymnwriters American women hymnwriters 20th-century American composers 20th-century American educators Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Musicians from Alabama Educators from Georgia (U.S. state) Educators from Alabama Peabody College alumni 20th-century women composers 20th-century American women educators {{US-composer-19thC-stub