Anchored in Sisterhood:

Ruth White and Bobbie Martin Reflect on Decades of Love, Legacy, and Life on Possum Kingdom Lake

Story by Mary Hill | Photos by Erika Carter

Life’s journey is all about navigating uncertainty and embracing change, and sisterhood can provide the support needed for the trip. To that end, longtime PK residents Ruth White and Bobbie Martin embody the spirit and skill needed to embrace life while weathering the inevitable storms along the way.

Both women have enjoyed their Gaines Bend oasis on Possum Kingdom Lake since 1970, when they, along with their parents and other siblings (brother, Bill, and sister, Linda), leased the property to be used as a family retreat – and as a place for their parents to retire. The property initially was adorned with an about to -be-leveled log cabin that was purchased for $600 and disassembled before being moved piece by piece from Dallas and reassembled onsite.

Martin fondly described the cabin as meeting all of the family’s needs, noting that it had lofts where the children slept. After the death of their parents (their father passed away in 1974, followed by their mother in 1991), the two of them purchased their other siblings’ shares, resulting in their joint ownership of the property.

Along with their spouses, White and Martin decided to move in together in the early 2000s, and they replaced the cabin with a duplex-style cottage. The sisters laughed as they admitted they unknowingly bought the same set of dishes to equip their shared kitchen.

“We usually had every evening meal together,†Martin said, recalling how the two couples supported each other under the same roof.

Several more common threads made the siblings’ bond unique and strong. After graduating from Mineral Wells High School in 1958, White attended North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas) in Denton, where she met her husband, Lee White, who later worked at Texas Instruments. He introduced his sister-in- law to his colleague, Bill Martin, and he became Bobbie’s husband.

The two husbands then introduced another TI colleague, Don Runyon, to their wives’ younger sister, Linda, and he became part of the family, too.

Another common thread that binds the sisters together is their love of sailing. Both were members of sailing clubs. Consequently, Martin and her husband competed in sailboat races in the 1970s on Lake Ray Hubbard, while White and her husband enjoyed day trips and overnight excursions to Mississippi and Florida on their cabin cruiser named “Lee’s Legacy.†Their PK Lake shoreline was the location for sailboat gatherings with club members. White’s children, Michael and Lisa, and Martin’s children, Beth and Jonathan, all learned to sail on this same shoreline.

Another mutual interest for the siblings since early childhood is their love of books. Both recalled taking periodic trips to Dallas with their mother where they visited a city-block-sized bookstore and were given permission to buy one book.

“Ruthie’s dream all her life was to own a bookstore,†Martin said.

Their PK Lake Shoreline was the location for sailboat gatherings with the sailing club The Whites were members of. Pictured above, two old photos from their sailing days including “Lee’s Legacyâ€.

Ruth White’s dream of owning a bookstore came to fruition in 2001, when she and Bobbie opened R and B Books in what is known today as PK Plaza. Pictured left, Ruth was featured on the cover of The Senior Times.

Ruth White is proud of her trees, all for good reason as each has special meaning. Her late husband gifted her an Oak Tree, her daughter Lisa, and her husband gave her a Willow Tree when they moved into their house, and Ruth planted a Fir Tree from a little potted Christmas tree, it was her third attempt and this one grew

Ruth enjoys sewing and enjoys creating wall hangings like the one above. She’s donated 12 of them to her church.

On March 17, 2001, White’s dream came true with the opening of R and B Books on the east side of PK near The Trading Post, and later located on FM 2353 where the UPS Store is today. As partners, they managed the store for more than a decade along with help from their husbands.

The sisters give credit to their spouses for making their dream possible, both financially and with their sweat equity. Martin’s husband, Bill, built the store’s bookshelves as well as the checkout counter currently used in the PK East Auxiliary.

R and B Books had been a dream in the making for quite some time, and it was stocked with more than 3,000 books from the sisters’ multiple local storage units. When asked what she enjoys reading now, White replied that she enjoys reading everything from books on sailing to Nora Roberts’ latest trilogy.

The two sisters use their skills these days to serve the PK community. St. Francis of Assisi in Graford is their church home, and both serve in its Altar Society. White also works on the parish council, while Martin serves on the finance committee.

White also was instrumental in the startup of the Possum Kingdom Water Supply Corp. in the early 2000s and served on its board of directors for several years.

Her friend and local real estate agent Jackie Fewell recalled White arriving at board meetings covered by a stack of binders. White’s experience as a manager in the acquisition department at Boeing in Richardson supported this critical initiative for the community.

For Martin, her skills acquired from years of working in banking and bookkeeping equipped her to help the Possum Kingdom East Auxiliary. At the urging of the Gaines Bend property owners association treasurer (who just happened to be her brother-in-law Lee), Martin spearheaded the conversion of POA handwritten records to machine format, then served as POA administrator for 20 years.

When both of their husbands died less than three months apart in 2020, the sisters continued to navigate life’s challenges together. They have stayed active in the Possum Kingdom Women’s Club and recently were honored for more than 20 years of service. The club’s current president, Jo Lynn Miller, said they are loyal members and faithful volunteers.

From sewing wall hangings for White to painting glassware and hummingbird feeders for Martin, both women also find creative ways to stay engaged. As an ever-adaptable team, these two sisters remain anchored to their community and uplift those around them.