Services to honor the life of Ellen Ruth Collins Potts will be held 10:00a.m. Monday, March 23, 2015, at Temple Baptist Church in Ruston, Louisiana, under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home. Visitation to encourage her family will be held at Temple Baptist Church on Sunday, March 22 from 2:00-5:00p.m. She succumbed to cancer on March 20, 2015, after a battle which began in September of 2010. \tEllen Ruth was born to the union of Frank Edward and Mamie Delaughter Collins in Port Arthur, Texas, on May 22, 1937. She was predeceased by her parents and older brother Thomas Edward Collins.\tGrowing up in Jonesville, Louisiana, with family and friends brought about precious memories. Academic excellence was her trademark. Ellen Ruth enjoyed high school reunions and appreciated her friends who stayed in touch. \tRuth loved her God, her family, her friends, her church family, her colleagues, and her students. She enjoyed learning, teaching, traveling, watching sports, playing Rook, socializing, and cooking Sunday lunches for her family. Her passion was serving her God through Temple Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School over forty years, sang in the choir, served on numerous committees, and put her heart and soul into missions. She was never happier than when Temple exceeded its missions offerings goals. Ruth traveled all over the United States as well as Canada, Venezuela, Latvia, and Nicaragua on mission trips. She requested that memorials be made to the Temple Baptist Church Missions Fund, 1515 South Service Road West, Ruston, Louisiana, 71270.\tLearning and teaching were her lifelong endeavors. Ruth earned several degrees and numerous honors through her studies at Block High School; Northeast Louisiana University; Louisiana Tech University; The Catholic University of the West in Angers, France; Tuffs University; and the University of Southern California in Santa Cruz. Her educational travels took her to France, Italy, Greece, England, Wales, and Ireland.\tAlmost all of her teaching career was spent at Ruston High School where she taught ninth grade English and embedded Bearcat hearts into her students. Mrs. Potts remained an avid Bearcat fan as long as her health permitted. She loved her students, and they loved her.\tRuth was proud of her loving and caring family, which included her devoted husband of 56 years, Truman Potts; her children and grandchildren, Frank and Lisa Potts, Morgan, Mackenzie, and Harrison; Lori and Jim King, Abbie, and Collin; and a special daughter, Lauri Keen and Daniel Johnson, Jonah, Marley, and Christopher. Ellen Ruth was also blessed with loving siblings: Bobby and Virginia Collins, Frank Edward Jr. and Deborah Collins, Zella and Cleveland Poole, a sister-in-law, Doris Collins Boyd, plus a plethora of nieces and nephews.\tPallbearers will be Mike Craft, James Davison, John Easley, Joe Gaido, Don Gay, Robert Hearn, Doyle Holstead, Clint Scott, and Phillip Washington.\tHonorary Pallbearers will be Salt and Light Sunday School Class, Faith Sunday School Class, and the Pierian Club. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com