Funeral services for Mrs. Susan Ruth Goodwin Ware, 95, of Monroe, LA, will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd. Monroe with Rev. Warren Eckhardt officiating. Visitation will be from 1:00 P.M. until service time at the funeral home on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

She was born on February 17, 1931, in Minden, LA, and went to be with her Lord surrounded by family on February 18, 2026, in Monroe.

Mrs. Ware’s education: La College, B.S. in Nursing, 1952; NOBTS. ULM (formerly NLU), Masters of Education (Guidance & Counseling), 1980; NSU, Masters of Science in Nursing, 1984; and ANCC, Certification Medical-Surgical Nurse, 1994-1998. She worked as a Nurse in Alexandria, La., 1952; New Orleans, La., 1952-1955; Juneau, Alaska, 1953; Bogalusa, La., 1954; Covington, La., 1955-1956; Minneapolis, MN, 1956-1957; Memphis, TN, 1957; Southern Baptist Convention, missionary appointed 1958; language student, San Jose, Costa Rica, 1958; nurse, lnstituto Mexico-Americano, Guadalajara, Mexico, 1959-1968; nurse, Clinica Bautista, Barranquilla, Colombia, 1971-1973; nurse, Columbia, La., 1973-1974; nurse, Glenwood Hospital, Monroe, La., 1975-2003. She then gained employment at NLU as a nursing instructor from 1977-1979; then LaTech Step-up Program Nursing instructor, 1990-2000. Susan was president of the Women’s Auxiliary to the Gideons (local chapter) and she was also a member of numerous civic and professional organizations. And she would always say: “I am not retired. I am still a missionary… ‘till the end.”

Mrs. Ware was preceded in death by her husband, James Cullen Ware, and son-in-law, Raul Villafranco.

Survivors include her children, Ruth Anne Rosenow and husband Alvin, Mary Ellen Carrell and husband Ron, James Thomas Ware and wife MaryAlice, and Rebecca Lynn Villafranco; grandchildren, Carol Anne Elwell and husband James, Laura McLeland and husband Damon, Gloria Salas and husband Joe, Alex Rosenow and wife Aeris, Sarah Carrell, Paul Ware, Jenny Ware, Emily Phillips and husband Samuel, Gabrielle Villafranco, and Samuel Villafranco and wife Diamond; great grandchildren, Elena, Connor, David, Jacob, Brynn and husband Edmun, Elias, Brandon and wife Jessica, Garrett, Caleb and wife Mandilyn, Rachel, Sebastian, Jeffrey, and Marley; great great grandchildren, Paxton and Beckett; and her siblings, Marion Goodwin, Teddy Goodwin, Ivette Roth, and Marie Atkins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Gideons.