Ruth (Peterson) Larson - 1911-1998

PETERSON, GILBERTSON, LARSON, WILKINSON, ALLEN, NERLI, STEWART, MARTINDALE

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 10/27/2011 at 22:21:04

SOURCE: Postville, Iowa POSTVILLE HERALD-LEADER, March 11, 1998
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Funeral services for Ruth Irene Larson were held Thursday, March 5 at 11:00 in St. Paul Lutheran church in Postville, Iowa. The Rev. T.M. Marks officiating. The Schutte Funeral Service of Postville was in charge of arrangements. Burial was in the Postville Cemetery. Casketbearers were Tracy Allen, Trent Larson, Cory Larson, Erika Nerli, Darrelle Ruth Wilkinson, Don Martindale, Mary Stewart, Peter Martindale, Harold Peterson, and David Stewart.

Ruth Irene, daughter of Henry K. and Hanna (Gilbertson) Peterson, was born November 26, 1911 at her parent's home in Clayton County, Iowa. She was their second child. She was the class valedictorian of the graduating class of Elgin High School, in Elgin, Iowa in 1931. She attended and graduated in 1933 from Waldorf Junior College in Forest City, Iowa. While at Waldorf, Ruth sang with the Acapella choir and went on tours with the group to neighboring states. She was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Scholarship Society. Ruth also attended two summer school terms at Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She taught a number of years in elementary schools in Fayette and Clayton Counties. She was also a homemaker. Ruth married Hilbert "Hib" Larson on September 26, 1942. The had two children. Since 1946, Ruth was an active member of her church, St. Paul Lutheran in Postville, Iowa. She was also an active Sunday School teacher. During the past 60 years she sang in choirs at East Clermont Lutheran Church, St. Paul Lutheran church in Garnavillo, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and Senior Citizen organizations. During World War II, she worked at the Post Exchange in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Her hobbies included music, reading, knitting, and crocheting. She was a world traveler, visiting throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Israel, Lebanon, Greece, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Norway. She was fluent in the Norwegian language.

Ruth Irene Larson died Sunday evening, March 1, 1998 in Mercy Hospital at Oelwein, Iowa at the age of 86 years, three months, and five days. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Hib, who died December 3, 1973, a brother Clarence Peterson and a sister, Pearl Peterson.

Ruth is survived by her two children, Luther Larson of Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Solveig (Richard) Wilkinson of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania; 5 grandchildren, Tracy (Ed) Allen of Tacoma, Washington, Trent (Lisa) Larson of South Hill, Washington, Cory Larson of Provo, Utah, Erika (Paul) Nerli of Bend Oregon and Darrella Ruth Wilkinson of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and 3 great grandchildren, Jonathan Larson, Jordan Larson, and Allison Nerli; 2 sisters, Louise (Gordon) Stewart of Neenah, Wisconsin, and Iva (Don) Martindale of Oelwein, Iowa.