Mary Ruth Merchant Longshore

AIKEN - Mrs. Mary Ruth Merchant Longshore, 85, loving wife of John Longshore for more than 67 years, passed away Saturday, May 14, 2016. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, May 17, 2016 in the Shellhouse-Rivers Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Phillip Lee officiating. The family will receive friends an hour before the service. Interment will be held in Newberry Memorial Gardens at 3:00 PM. Mrs. Longshore was born in Newberry, SC to the late Raymond Cleveland and Mary Hendrix Merchant. After moving to Aiken in 1952, Mrs. Longshore became a member of Millbrook Baptist Church. Over the years was active in the church choir, WMU, Bible School, and the Millbrook Baptist Church Christmas Tree and many other areas of service within Millbrook Baptist Church. She was passionate about the church youth. Mrs. Longshore employed with the ASCS for many years. Cooking was also a passion of hers. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Kathy (Aaron) Grant, Aiken, Sherri (Paul) Sandvick, Kingwood, TX; six grandchildren: Jackson Rahner, Jr., Sean Rahner, Megan Sandvick, Ben Sandvick, Michael Grant, Jill Glidewell; seven great grandchildren: Kyla Rahner, Logan Rahner, Gavin Rahner, Cody Grant, Abby Grant, Zoe Glidewell, Quinn Glidewell, a sister; Shirley Merchant Oxner, Greenwood, SC and by numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Karen Ann Longshore, a sister, Evelyn Merchant Evans, and a brother G. W. Merchant. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Tidewater Hospice, 1065 Silver Bluff Rd., Aiken, SC 29803. SHELLHOUSE-RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 E. PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC Mrs. Longshore's online guestbook may be signed at www.shellhouseriversfuneralhome.com To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary Ruth Merchant Longshore, please visit our flower store.