Leilia Ruth Harris-Bowers-Cooper, age 94, went home to be with the Lord, March 8, 2015 after a long illness with Alzheimer's. She was a long-time resident of Englewood, Etowah and most recently Knoxville. She was born on March 23, 1920 in Englewood, Tennessee, and was the youngest of 14 children. Ruth and her late husband, Lester Reed Bowers, were married 44 years and had two children. She remarried Rev. J. Burch Cooper, pastor of various churches in Knox, Blount and McMinn Counties. They were married 5 years until his death.

Ruth was an accomplished pianist and continued to play until the final years of her life. Love of music led Ruth to church music ministry. She held many leadership positions such as pianist, organist and choir director in the churches where she belonged. She spent 5 years at North Etowah Baptist Church directing a full graded choir program, pre-school through adult and 5 years as director of Pre-school and children's Sunday school. Her love of children inspired her to complete her college education and at age 50 earned a BS degree in Elementary Education from Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, TN. She taught twelve years in the Etowah city Schools. She also loved working in her yard and cooking for her family. She was renowned for her Apple Stack Cake.

Ruth was preceded in death by great-grandson Jacob Ryan Arnold and is survived by her children, Sandra Dutton and husband, Douglas of Knoxville, TN; Stephen Bowers and wife, Linda of Bridgewater, VA; grandchildren Julie Arnold and husband Steve of Knoxville, Brian Dutton and wife Emily of Seale, AL, Laura Wyant and husband David of Richmond, VA, and Reed Bowers and wife Chelsea of Lynchburg, VA. She is also survived by six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Little Creek Sanitarium in Knoxville for the 16 months of loving care they provided Ruth. The family will receive friends on March 10 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Bordwine Funeral Home in Etowah. A graveside service will follow at 3:00 p.m. at McMinn Memory Gardens with Rev. Steve Peek from First Baptist Concord, Knoxville, officiating.

Bordwine Funeral Home of Etowah, TN is honored to serve the Bowers-Cooper family and invites you to sign and view the family guestbook at www.bordwinefuneralhome.com.