Ruthie Mae (York) Turner, 1947-2014

Ruthie Mae (York) Turner - Ms. Senior District of Columbia, 1947 - 2014

Ruthie Mae, or "RC" as she is known to friends, graduated from Fort Hill High School in 1965. Raised on Glenwood Street in South Cumberland she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Taylor. After attending Allegany Community College Ruthie eventually relocated to Washington, D.C. She held various positions until securing a banking post with the Riggs National Bank. Ruthie Mae Turner would over a forty year career in the banking industry work her way up the ladder from teller to Vice-President.

Upon retiring she established the "The Girlfriends Club" in Washington which is a volunteer organization which visits senior citizens without families in nursing as well as private homes. RC's professional and civic career in Washington has led her to serve on Mayoral Committees under Mayor Marion Berry as well as Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon. She served as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Center for Independent Living and selected to serve as a hostess to Queen Elizabeth on her 2007 tour of the nation's capitol.

In June 2008, Ruthie Mae "RC" Turner was crowned "Ms. Senior District of Columbia". The following excerpt from the August 2008, Washington DC Office on Aging Newsletter tells the story:

"RC Turner Crowned Ms. Senior DC 2008 (Washington, DC)
Congratulations to RC Turner, 61, who was recently crowned Ms. Senior DC 2008. She competed in the Ms. Senior DC Pageant 2008 with five other District women age 60 and older. The contestants were judged on a personal interview with the judges, their statement of philosophy of life, and their talent and evening gown presentations. A former bank executive, Turner was also awarded Best Interview and Ms. Congeniality. The pageant contestants voted on the contestant they felt best possessed the characteristics of Ms. Congeniality. During the talent portion, she performed a self-authored dramatic reading and wore an ivory gown with gold beading; spaghetti straps that lace on the back with a mermaid train during the evening gown competition. Ms. Senior DC will represent her peers in the upcoming Ms. Senior America Pageant to be held in Atlantic City in October. She will compete against women from across the country in the pageant that celebrates the age of elegance and the inner beauty and community service of the mature women."

The photograph depicted here is of RC Turner as she appeared early Monday morning, February 3, 2009 as one of the celebrity guests for an event on the Downtown Cumberland Mall.