Mrs. Mary Ruth Chavis Yarbrough, age 83, of Pawleys Island, SC, formerly of Placentia, California passed away on Friday, January 13, 2023 at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet, SC.  She was born in Rowland, NC on November 14, 1939 to the late Cleveland Chavis, Sr. and the late Bernice Locklear Chavis.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Cleveland Chavis, Jr.

Mary Ruth is survived by her husband of sixty-five years, Claude G. Yarbrough, Jr., of the home; three sons, Steve Yarbrough (Ana Ximena) of Washington, DC, Dennis Yarbrough of Rowland, NC and Ray Yarbrough (Julian) of Lake Elsinore, CA; her sister, Carol Chavis Zygner (Al) of Longs, SC; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mary was a woman of immense love for family and friends who always helped others in need, even in their darkest moments.  She was the oral historian of the family who wanted to make sure that her children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews always knew from where they came; from Lumbee sharecroppers of North & South Carolina to auto workers of Detroit, to living in the West Coast.  Her stories of the familial plight against oppression and injustice instilled in her children, grands, and nieces & nephews to continue to fight against these same maligned attributes in far-away places like Grenada, Panama, Germany, North Korea, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.  Although her family sometimes laughed or were in awe of the many colorful historical stories of our Lumbee heritage.  It grounded her descendants to our roots of Robeson County even when they were afar.  She will be missed most her husband, Claude, her sister, and the rest of her extended family.  Mary was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints of Georgetown, SC.

A funeral service will be held in her ancestorial home on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 3:00PM at Reedy Branch Baptist Church with Rev. Crafton Chavis (cousin) officiating.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery.