Lyrics

The One and Only
Ruth Hartley-Mosley
4x
This is dedicated to the one and only
Ms. Ruth Hartley Mosley
Born in Savannah in 1886
And after she was born, the world ain’t been the same since
She lived with a life of double discrimination
Black and a woman, a great combination
But see the nation, she was in, they were hatin’
So her father taught her independence and determination
She got her education, put the knowledge first
Went to North Carolina where she learned to be a nurse
Then to Chicago, she went to get her clinical
Training at Providence Hospital quite critical
Came back to Georgia to the State Sanatorium
In Milledgeville, spreading goodwill like the Emporium
In the “Colored Females Department”
Became head nurse, the Black woman, she was first
But that’s the nature of the mother of the Earth
A queen so she lived like one that knew her worth
HOOK
In Macon, GA, Ms. Ruth met a business man
She was a business woman, they made some business plans
Richard Hartley, he had a saloon
1917, he had a bride as the groom
Soon sold the saloon, chose to leave it alone
‘Cause him and Ruth had a vision of a funeral home
Ms. Hartley at the time became a licensed mortician
Taking care of all the needs of the non-livin’
They met success and decided to invest
In real estate to multiply the treasure in their chest
Ruth and Richard were a dream team, until Richard’s death
In 1931, he was laid to rest
But Ruth carried on to make the most of life
(So) Even in dark times, she still shined her light
Hook
Now Ruth had a fortune, but no friend
So in 1937, she got married again
To Mr. Fisher Mosley, who came from Cohcran
Together they succeeded, knew that failing was no option
1938, Ruth went back to nursing
In the Bibb County School Health Department serving
So, A servant leader, she was the epitome
Steward Chapel AME, treasurer and trustee
Civil Rights fighter, planner, and participant
Of sit-ins we read about, she was livin’ it
NAACP leader and founding board member
Of Booker T. Washington Center, remember
A legacy of love who even after death
Helped nurses study health who got funding from her wealth
A first class way of life, is here legacy
Dignified and refined for eternity