Uncrowned Community Builders

Although born in Luverne, Alabama, Mary Ruth has lived in the City of Niagara Falls, NY all of her life. She is the daughter of the late Lila Ruth (Cauley) Davis and the late Sam Davis, Jr. She attended local schools, graduated from Niagara Falls High School, studied at the University of Buffalo and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Medaille College, Buffalo, NY.


Mary Ruth was employed by the Nioga Library System in Lockport, NY for 42 years starting out as a typist when the office was in Niagara Falls and retiring as the Library System's Business Manager at the end of 2003. Shortly after retiring she was recruited to work part-time at the Niagara Falls Public Library to perform financial data entry and she quickly became the "go to" person in the finance department of the library. In 2016 she, along with a co-worker served as Interim administrators for the library while the search for a permanent library director was being conducted. After 12 years at the Public Library Mary Ruth has again decided to "retire" from her position as Principal Account Clerkâ??although this time she says that she is "quitting" the job rather than retiring from it!


Ms. Davis has been a member of the New Hope Baptist Church of Niagara Falls since she was in her early teens. Prior to joining New Hope she attended Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church of Niagara Falls, located at 311 Rainbow Boulevard. She came to morning worship service with her late mother, Mrs. Lila Ruth Davis, or with her Aunt, the late Mrs. Iola M. Cauley McRae.


Mary Ruth decided to join New Hope because she wanted to sing in the choir with the new friends she had made when she and her mother moved to the 24th Street-Allen and Mackenna area from the downtown Second and Falls Street area. Among the new friends were Barbara Williamson (Walker) and the late Marie Redrick (Hamilton). Mary Ruth and Marie often came to Sunday school with Barbara and her parents, the late Deacon Joseph and Deaconess Shallona Williamson.


As a teen, Mary Ruth faithfully participated in the choir, Sunday school, and BTU (Baptist Training Union) during the pastorate of Rev. H. Edward Whitaker. After high school graduation and subsequent beginning of work and college experiences, there was a period of several years that she did not participate in any church activities. In about 1971-73, at the invitation and urging of her "church father," the late Deacon Napoleon Simmons, Mary Ruth returned to the church and became active. Deacon Simmons explained that the Usher Board really needed a secretary and that he felt she could do a good job in that position. She became a member of the Usher Board and served as its secretary.

Reverend Randall E. McCaskill was pastor of the Church at the time and eventually asked Mary Ruth to stand for election as Church Clerk. Mary Ruth has served her church in many other capacities including the Usher Board, Secretary, Member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Church Treasurer, Church Council member and Chairman, two Pulpit Search Committees; Choir member; Music Committee Member, Expansion & Renovation Committee member, Women's Day Chairperson. She served as Co-Chair of the 81st Church Anniversary Committee and worked diligently on the Anniversary Journal. In 2016 she volunteered to serve as Church Clerk and held the position through the end of 2018.


Mary Ruth has also participated in the Empire Baptist Laymen's workshops, attended the National Baptist Convention, 1973, Los Angeles, CA; attended the Empire State Baptist Convention, Newburgh, NY, 1982.

She is now an Alumna member of the Niagara Falls Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. As an active member of the Chapter from 1986 through 2017, Mary Ruth held a number of offices including Vice President, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, and Scholarship Committee chairperson.


She has served as a Community Member of the Audit Committee for the Niagara Falls City School District since 2009 and has been chairperson of that Committee for the past four years.


In October 2017 Mary Ruth was selected by God's Woman Vanessa Scott Outreach Ministries as one of eight women to be honored during the "I Shall Wear A Crown Honoree Banquet" held at the Four Points Sheraton in Niagara Falls.


She was a member of the Black Task Force for Niagara County Community College and served as a community representative on the Distinguished Student Scholarship Committee in 1994. Past community services include membership on the Boards of Directors for the Niagara Council of the Mental Health Association, Niagara Council of the Arts; and member of the Unity Ball Committee for the Niagara Community Center and Girls Club.


In addition, Mary Ruth graduated from the Community Leadership Development program at Niagara University, now Leadership Niagara; she is a Notary Public qualified in Niagara County.


Mary Ruth's favorite scriptures include Corinthians 14:40 which states "Let all things be done decently and in order." It, along with Galatians 6:9, "Let us not grow weary in doing good things for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."