Ruiter, Willie (1920-2014)

RUITER, KNEPP, GELNER, CLAUSSEN, SHROMOFF, TORESDAHL, STUMO

Posted By: Paul Nay (email)
Date: 9/1/2014 at 12:04:25

Willie Ruiter
October 15, 1920 - July 19, 2014

Willie Ruiter, 93, of Forest City, died on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City.

Willie Ruiter, a son of Fredrick and Henrietta (Knepp) Ruiter, was born on October 15, 1920. On January 29, 1946, he married Vera Gelner at St. James Reectory in Forest City. In March of 1946, they started farming in Belmond. In March of 1947, they moved to a farm by Fertile, and after spending many years there, they bought a farm by Forest City in 1967. They enjoyed farming with their children, Byron, Jack, and Debbie. In 2005, Vera and Willie moved to Mason City where they had since resided.

Willie enjoyed living and working on the farm. He had a love of cars. In addition, he enjoyed shopping for treasures at the Village Store in Clear Lake and having coffee with his friends. Willie and Vera enjoyed ballroom dancing and visited the Surf Ballroom weekly. He enjoyed the time he spent with his family and will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Survivors include his son, Byron, and his wife, Barb Ruiter, of Forest City; his daughter, Deb, and her husband, Jeff Claussen, of Blaine, Minnesota, and his son, Jack, and his wife, Marie, of Northwood, Iowa; his grandchildren, Patrick and Cindy Ruiter, of Mason City; Jason and Jacob Claussen and Amanda (Chris) Shromoff, of Blaine, Minnesota; Emily (Barnes) Toresdahl and Timothy (Andrea) Stumo; his great-grandchildren, Lillian Vera Ruiter, Ivy Toresdahl, Calan Stumo, and Owen Charles Shromoff; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant son, Dennis; his grandson, Charles Ruiter, and thirteen siblings: Harms, Henry, Fred, Eppie, John, Recka, Faye, Bernard, Grace, Simon, Sena, Andrew, and Remer.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Good Samaritan Home for the wonderful care and compassion they gave to Willie during his stay.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 A.M, Saturday, July 26, 2014, at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home, 505 North Clark St., Forest City, with Pastor Chuck Layton of the United Methodist Church officiating. Visitation will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M., Friday, at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home. Interment will take place at Immanuel Reformed Cemetery in rural Belmond, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Willie Ruiter memorial fund in care of the family.

Copyright © 2014, Petersen Lund Funeral Home

Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen