Published: November 29, 2006 02:59 pm      

Ruth McIlheran

Ruth McIlheran, 54, of Orange passed away Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, December 2, 2006 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Orange. Officiating will be Father Tom Phelan of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Cremation will be under the direction of Claybar Haven of Rest Crematory.

Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. Friday at Claybar Funeral Home Chapel in Orange. A Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. that evening.

Mrs. McIlheran was born September 16, 1952 in Carrizo Springs to Jose and Manuela (Reyes) Hernandez. She was a homemaker, a member of the Service League of Orange, Kiwanis, Women of St. Francis, a Girl Scout Leader and Boy Scout Leader.

She was a wonderful wife, mother and friend who did everything with grace and a smile.

Mrs. McIlheran was preceded in death by her father, Jose Hernandez and her sister, Manuela Sandoval.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Michael E. McIlheran of Orange; mother, Manuela Hernandez of Carrizo Springs; daughter and son-in-law, Julia Ruth and Gregory Wood of Austin; sons, Thomas Clayton McIlheran of Dallas and Edward Michael McIlheran of San Marcos. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Rudolpho and Rita Carrillo of Hobbs, New Mexico; sisters and brothers-in-law, Beatrice and Jesse Saldana and Maria and Armando De Hoyos both of Carrizo Springs.

Should friend’s desire, memorial contributions may be sent to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or to Kiwanis Scholarship Fund, 4300 Meeks Dr., Orange, TX 77632.