Julia Ruth Stevens (born Julia Marshall Hodgson; July 7, 1916 – March 9, 2019) was the adopted daughter of American baseball player

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

and the biological daughter of his second wife

Claire Merritt Ruth Claire Merritt Hodgson Ruth (born Clara Mae Merritt; September 11, 1900 – October 25, 1976) was a native of Athens, Georgia, United States, who is most famous for having been the second wife of Babe Ruth. Biography Hodgson's first husband, ...

. Stevens was born Julia Hodgson to Claire () and Frank Hodgson in

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

. Her father, who died in 1921, was estranged from her mother soon after Julia was born. The mother and daughter moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

where Claire worked as a model. Her mother met Babe Ruth in 1923, and they married in 1929. Ruth subsequently adopted Julia. Through the marriage, she also gained a sister,

Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Dorothy'' (TV series), 1979 American TV series * Dorothy Mills, a 2008 French movie, sometimes titled simply ''Dorot ...

. Julia was married three times. Her first husband was Richard Flanders who died in 1949. Her second marriage to Grant Meloon ended in divorce but produced a son. Her third marriage to Brent Stevens lasted 49 years. She had one son, Tom, from her second marriage who was adopted by her third husband. Through Tom, she has two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Stevens was a fan of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. Later in life, she spent her time upholding the legacy of her father and wrote three books on him. Along with her mother and sister, she helped save her father's birthplace in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. Particularly, she was deeply involved in the

Babe Ruth League The Babe Ruth League is an international youth baseball and softball league based in Hamilton, New Jersey, United States. It is named after George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895–1948). The parent program—Babe Ruth League, Incorporated—is a non-p ...

. In 1989, she and her sister were a joint

plaintiff A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the ...

s along with the

in a trademark dispute with Macmillan Incorporated over use of their father's likeness. She died in March 2019 in an assisted living facility in

Henderson, Nevada Henderson is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, about southeast of downtown Las Vegas. It is the List of cities in Nevada, 2nd most populous city in Nevada, after Las Vegas, with 317,610 residents. The city is part of the Las Vegas V ...

, at the age of 102. The cause of death was

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an pulmonary artery, artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain ...

. Before moving to the facility, she was a long-time resident of

Conway, New Hampshire Conway is a New England town, town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous community in the county, with a population of 9,822 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from ...

, where she was in

innkeeper Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

Bibliography

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Julia Ruth 1916 births 2019 deaths American adoptees American innkeepers American women restaurateurs American women centenarians American women writers Ruth family People from Athens, Georgia People from Conway, New Hampshire