Ruby Elizabeth Davis, the oldest living person in the U.S. state of Missouri, passed away in Shelbina on 24 January, at the age of 111 years, 185 days.
Davis was born in Colony, Kansas, on 23 July 1914. She grew up on her family’s farm in Coffee County, Kansas, and attended Prairieville Grade School. She later went on to graduate from Colony High School in 1933. Early in her working life, she helped neighbors with various odd jobs.
Ruby married William Alvin “Bill” Moore on 17 June 1942, and the couple shared 41 years together until his death in 1983. She remarried the following year, wedding Clyde L. Davis in 1984. Their marriage lasted until his death in 2003. She had a son, William “Bill” Moore, and an infant daughter, Isabel Ann. Through her marriages, she also gained stepchildren William “Bill” Davis, Vernon Moore, Helen Gilliland, and Betty Randolph.
Throughout her life, Ruby worked at Sifers Chocolate in Iola and was also a devoted homemaker. She was an active member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Iola, Kansas, and generously gave her time as a volunteer with the Allen County Hospital Auxiliary, Red Cross blood drives, the Happy Hearts FCE Unit, and the Sunflower Quilt Guild.
On 5 May 2025, following the passing of Mary Chesney, she became the oldest known living person in Missouri.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Ruby Davis during this difficult time.
