Myrel Ruark Arthur, age 96, of Southlake, Texas, passed away June 17, 2016. Mrs. Arthur was born November 13, 1919, in Electra, Texas, to John and Bessie (Dees) Ruark.
Myrel was a visionary who had incredible drive and resilience. Growing up in the Great Depression, she experienced the hardships of so many, but never succumbed to the difficulties of life, but instead, she dreamed of the possibilities and pursued them. She graduated from Irving High School in 1937.
She married Jake Arthur in October of 1941 and was a housewife on the family farm, which quite frankly, was not her cup of tea! Roland was born August 12, 1942 and Alvis, January 7, 1945. Sharla arrived May 30, 1955. Her gears were turning and she was constantly thinking of ways to leave the farm and start a business of her own.
Myrel adored and admired Jake’s Aunt Elizabeth Stovall. Aunt Lizzie was an inspiration to us all for her business acumen and wisdom. She believed in Myrel, so much so, that she loaned her the money to purchase three acres of land on Beltline Road at 183. On that spot in 1957 she opened City Florist. She wanted to call it Irving Florist (which the family later purchased), but that name had already been taken. She believed firmly that a business name should be easy to remember and easy to spell. A few years later she opened Myrel’s Bridal Salon (not an easy spell!) and started a catering service.
Her next bold move was to leave the farm. She told her sons the morning of the move (after their father had gone to work) that they needed to take the bus route to Beltline Road home, instead of Esters Road! How she moved in one day must have been quite an orchestrated project, but it happened. We are not sure if Jake found a note on the door or what, but everyone slept at the new house that night!
To say Myrel wore the pants in the family is an understatement! She was a pioneer business woman in the 1950s and a very successful one at that. Her organizational skills were beyond reproach and her ability to manage money was phenomenal. She saved every penny and had a reputation for paying cash to her wholesalers and never owing anyone a dime.
When she purchased the lot at Northgate and O’Connor to build a home in 1968 she showed up with stacks of hundred dollar bills! Loans and mortgages were not in her vocabulary.
Jake worshipped Myrel and was always faithfully at her side through all the moves and growth of the business. He was the head delivery guy and had a notorious reputation as the City Florist driver. Many times the shop would receive calls about his reckless driving and how the caller hated reporting the man because he probably needed the work.
Myrel loved her sisters more than anything in the world and they loved her. Billie worked for her for many years, as did, Hazel until she passed away in 1983. Nellie B would drive in from Burkburnett every holiday and was in charge of making the most beautiful arrangements. No one could arrange a dozen roses like Aunt B.
Following graduation from SMU, Sharla joined her mother in the business and Myrel turned many of the responsibilities over to her and they both enjoyed watching the florist and bridal shop grow.
After his retirement from Lone Star Gas Company, Jake watched with pride as Roland built Arthur Equipment on the three acres behind the florist. At one point he sold grave monuments on an area beside the florist. He coined the tag line, “We Marry ‘Em and We Bury ‘Em!” Jake had a great sense of humor and was known for his hilarious songs which he made up and sang mostly at breakfast time. He loved his son-in-law George Bush and got a kick out of offering him his home grown fire hot peppers and watching him whince!
Jake was quick to offer his children his opinion. He told Alvis one afternoon he wouldn’t give him two bits for that Mercedes S500 because you can’t haul anything in it! But he loved watching his boys work together selling equipment and was so proud.
Myrel sold the business after 37 years and she and her sister Billie set out to their favorite vacation spots, Branson, Missouri and Las Vegas, Nevada, as often as they could! The two sisters were inseparable.
Mimi loved her grandchildren and managed to have them to her home as often as possible while still running the business. Probably their favorite memory as little ones is playing Hocus Pocus! They would line up in front of the fire place and hold out their hands with their eyes closed waiting for Mimi to place surprises in their hands.
Myrel was a member of Oak View Baptist Church and shared her gift of hospitality with the entire congregation. Church is where she met Horace Hudspeth and they fell in love and married in 2002 and enjoyed ten years together before he passed away. For years Myrel was the hostess of the Sunday School Class Christmas Party. She spent hours decorating and finally stopped climbing ladders to hang Christmas lights about eight years ago!
Myrel had a well lived life and affected the lives of many. She and Jake grew up in homes with godly mothers who taught their children to pray and trust in Jesus. Their greatest desire was that all their family after them would know Christ as their Savior and walk in faith. A night did not pass that you did not hear Jake on his knees praying for each family member by name. We know they are home now with their Lord and those who have gone on before them.
She is survived by her son, Roland Arthur and wife, BeAnn of Westlake, Texas; daughter, Sharla Bush and husband, George of McKinney, Texas; grandchildren, Sandy Byrd, Gloria Wall, Rhonda Arthur, Melinda Marshall, Amber Arthur, Aaron Arthur, Rex Bush, and Laura Freeman; and great-grandchildren, Madeline Byrd, Miranda Byrd, Ryan Matthews, Quinlan Matthews, Haley Matthews, Angelica Gristy, Tiffany Smith, Kristina Etling, Erika Etling, David Marshall, Drew Marshall, Henry Arthur, James Freeman, George Freeman, and Gracie Freeman.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Jake Arthur, Son, Alvis Arthur, and sisters, Nellie Richards, Billie Nelms, Hazel Mathis, and brother, Shelby Ruark.
A funeral service will be held at 12:00 Noon, Saturday, June 25, 2016, at Oak View Baptist Church in Irving, Texas. Interment will follow at Haley Cemetery in Irving, Texas. The family will receive friends at the following visitations:
6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Friday, June 24, 2016 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas and
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 Noon on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at Oak View Baptist Church.
Memorial donations may be made to Oak View Baptist Church, 1004 S. Story Rd., Irving, Texas, 75060.