Personal Bankers of Little Rock: Ruth East
February 23, 2018
Unlike some other Personal Bankers at Bank of Little Rock, Ruth East didn’t take on banking as a career until her life was well underway.
One of five children, Ruth was born outside of Newport in the tiny town of Weldon, which she says had a population of only about 100 folks or so. She and her family moved to Beebe and then to Little Rock when she was in the second grade.
Ruth attended Peabody Elementary School which was a short walk from their home on Pulaski Street near the State Capitol. She also attended Franklin Elementary, and then West Side Junior High, finally graduating from Central High.
On weekends, Ruth started working while still in high school at the Blass Department Store in Little Rock where she wrapped gifts and was a cashier. Her first full-time job was at the popular Crank’s Drugstore in the original Park Plaza shopping center. At the drugstore, she had the fun of working in the soda fountain area, a memory she still enjoys.
Ruth married Jarrell East in 1965 and, like so many others, devoted herself to raising a family, retiring from outside work for a 10-year stretch. She and Jarrell bought 15 acres in Alexander where they made their home. Sadly, Jarrell passed away in 2013 and today, Ruth makes her home in Bryant.
?Ruth always loved to sew and re-entered the business world working for a drapery manufacturing company and then later for Joyce Holt’s Window Works for a total of 13 years. Only then did the opportunity to enter banking arise.
In 1998, Ruth joined Bank of Little Rock as a teller and she’s never looked back. Today, she continues to work as a Teller and Customer Service Rep in our Rahling Road branch where she enjoys great relationships with hundreds of our customers. As for her professional associates, Ruth says, “I just love these people -- they’ll have to run me off!” But her customers love her, too.
Today, Ruth finds happiness outside the bank watching her six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren play sports -- including grandson Jake who played in a Little League World Series in Washington State. Today, Jake is in his freshman year at ASU.
Ruth East has become an institution at our Rahling Road branch. Stop by soon and share her smile!