Mervin Monroe - Ruth Powers

Ruth Powers is the Simpsons' next-door neighbor, introduced when she moves to their neighborhood in the episode "New Kid on the Block". She is divorced and has a daughter, Laura Powers. According to "New Kid on the Block", Ruth divorced her husband because his career got in the way with his family life, but in "Marge on the Lam", Ruth tells Marge that all her husband ever did was "eat, sleep, and drink beer" and never gave her money for child support (which led to Ruth stealing her husband's convertible). She is usually seen as a background character, sometimes in events that occurred even before she moved next door (such as the baby shower for Maggie in "And Maggie Makes Three"). She even continues to be a background character despite her later imprisonment. She nearly always wears a red headscarf. In the episode "The Cartridge Family" she was part of the NRA. She was voiced by Pamela Reed in her first two speaking appearances. David Mirkin said that Pamela Reed would always give great performances and that he does not know why they did not use her more.

The episode "Marge on the Lam" features Ruth and Marge going on the run from the law in a stolen convertible in a light parody of Thelma & Louise. Ruth makes an appearance in the episode "Strong Arms of the Ma", as a huge female bodybuilder, advising Marge (who is taking up weightlifting) to use steroids. It's also revealed in the episode that Ruth Powers went to jail and entered a beauty contest in which she was named "Miss Mexican Mafia." Her daughter, Laura, hasn't been seen after "New Kid on the Block."