Ruby Faupel Harper, born January 7, 1928 in De Valls Bluff passed peacefully in her sleep on September 8, 2021 at the Good Shepherd Nursing and Rehab in Little Rock after a long battle with pneumonia and other illnesses.
A descendent of Allen H. Blankenship who moved to Prairie County in 1877, she was preceded in death by her mother and father, Clara and Herbert Faupel; her sister, Hazel; her four brothers, Russell, Warren, Charles, and Lamar Faupel, and her ex-husband, Robert Lee Harper. She is survived by her son, Dennis Harper and wife, Carol of Fort Bend County, Texas.
She led a memorable life while living in DeValls Bluff, Hazen, and Pulaski County. Many will remember her from her time at the Grand Prairie Herald and her involvement in the First Methodist Church and other community activities in the Hazen area. After moving to Pulaski County, she worked for a civil engineering firm for many years and then became a state employee, retiring from a position in the administration of the state’s school lunch program in 1990. She often enjoyed visiting the parks and historic sites in central Arkansas, with Petit Jean state park as her favorite.
She lived in the Good Shepherd Retirement Community from 2011 until her hospitalization in March, 2020. We would like to express our appreciation for the people there who cared for her during those years; and to the staff at the Nursing & Rehab Center who took good care of her after she moved there in April, 2020.
A graveside service will be held 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at the Hazen Cemetery. Arrangements by Westbrook Funeral Home of Hazen.
One by one, Prairie County’s historic citizens leave us. Mrs. Ruby’s family roots go back to the post-Civil War time of the late 1800’s when a new influx of settlers took up residence in the Grand Prairie. The Faupels were respected county citizens as were the Blankenships before them. But time stops for no one. Changes happen. People come and people go. Mrs. Ruby left her mark and memories among those with whom she lived. Her cherished legacy is appreciated by those who knew her. Although she moved away to Pulaski County, she maintained a keen interest in her home roots. For example, her annual donations to the Hazen Cemetery were noteworthy. She will be missed, but her life was memorable.