Azalee Hester Ruark

Elizabeth Azalee Hester Ruark, 87, lived a life full of faith and love until the Lord peacefully called her home on January 10, 2026. Azalee was born on November 28, 1938, to George Robert Hester and Lucille Sorrells Hester in Monroe, Georgia. She moved to Bostwick, Georgia, in 1960 when she married her beloved husband, Eugene Ruark, on Christmas Day of that year, and she became a cherished part of that community ever since.

Azalee's life was a true testament to her faith. She loved the Lord, her family, and her church with unfaltering devotion. She was primarily a homemaker, but prior to the birth of her first child, she worked in the office at Carwood in Monroe. She later worked part-time as postmistress at the Bostwick Post Office, as a clerk at Bostwick Supply, and handled payroll for Ruark Brothers Farm and Ruark Farms. She served as a Sunday School teacher at Gibbs Memorial Baptist Church for two- and three-year-olds for more than 40 years. Azalee also loved singing in the choir and performing special music with her son and granddaughters.

Azalee took great pride in keeping a clean home and enjoyed working in the yard, growing flowers and vegetables, and cooking for her family. She could add harmony to any song, could make any flower grow, and could brighten anyone's day with her kind smile or one of the best home-cooked meals you could find. Azalee was truly a blessing to all who knew her.

In addition to her parents, Azalee was preceded in death by her husband, Gene Ruark, and her siblings, Mary Nelle Malcom, Charles Hester, Jean Queen, and Gerald Hester. She is survived by her children, Rhonda Batchelor (Mark), Mark Ruark (Melanie), and Renee Malcom (Damon); her grandchildren, Ashlee Johnson (Russ), Kaylee Murphy (Collin), Leah McLanahan (Jack), Marlee Preston (Tanner), Matt Malcom, and Natalee Ruark; and her great-grandchildren, Hayes Murphy, Kamden Johnson, Rilynn Murphy, Kaleb Johnson, Georgie Murphy, and Ella Preston.

Visitation will be held on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at A.E. Carter Funeral Home in Madison, Georgia. The funeral service will be held Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Gibbs Memorial Baptist Church in Bostwick, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to Gibbs Memorial Baptist Church in Bostwick, Georgia.