Mrs. Ruth Whitehurst Manning, 87, died Thursday July 2, 2015.

A funeral service was conducted on Sunday, July 5, 2015 at Hickory Grove Free Will Baptist Church in Robersonville, officiated by her pastor, Rev. Doug Tyson. Burial followed in Bethel Cemetery.

Ruth lived most of her life in the Whitehurst Station Community, where she took care of her mother and father and raised five children. She retired from keeping grandchildren in 2006. She was a member of Hickory Grove Free Will Baptist Church for over 28 years. Ruth was known to many as "Mama Ruth" and her grandchildren and great grandchildren were her pride and joy.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, William Kelly and Caddie Warren Whitehurst, sister, Peggy Everett, and brothers, Cliff Whitehurst and wife, Verna, Marvin Whitehurst, Cecil Whitehurst and wife, Grace, Joe Whitehurst, Ralph Whitehurst and wife, Louise, and Dean Whitehurst.

She is survived by her daughters, Darlene House of Robersonville, Deborah Broadwell and husband, Timothy, of Farmville and Cheryl Cayton and husband, Gene, of Mason, OH; sons, Kirk Manning of Robersonville and Edward Manning of Bethel; brother, J.H. Whitehurst and wife, Barbara, of Rocky Mount; brother-in-law, Clayton Everett of Whitehurst Station; sisters-in-law, Shirley Whitehurst of Greenville and Pearl Whitehurst of Rocky Mount; grandchildren, Amanda Clark and husband, Allen of Nashville, Amy Millikin and husband, Jonathan, of Youngsville, Crystal Garman and husband, Corey, of Winterville, Babs Harrell and husband, Eric, of Tarboro, Alex Broadwell, of New York, NY, Melissa Houck and husband, Bernard, of Odenton, MD, Jenny Ruby and her husband, Danny, of Mason, OH, Bill Cayton, and his wife, Robin, of Goshen, OH; 14 great-grandchildren; and many special nieces and nephews.

The family received friends Saturday from 5 to 7 PM at Wilkerson Funeral Home, Greenville.

Memorials may be made to Hickory Grove Free Will Baptist Church Youth Fund, 5547 Hwy NC 30, Robersonville, NC 27871