Holtan, Ruth (1924-2015)
HOLTAN, TWEETEN, HALVORSEN, OLMSTEAD, HADACEK, PORT, WEGHORST, BUNTING, ABEYTA, GILBERTSON, JOHNSON, HALVORSEN
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 4/7/2015 at 18:48:15
Ruth Holtan
August 15, 1924 - March 27, 2015Ruth Holtan, 90, of Forest City, died on Friday, March 27, 2015, at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Forest City.
Ruth (Tweeten) Holtan was born on August 15, 1924, to Gilbert and Mae (Dahlby) Tweeten. She had three older siblings from a previous marriage and four younger brothers. Growing up on a farm near Joice, she attended Winnebago Lutheran Church. She graduated from Waldorf Junior College where she sang in the choir. Afterwards, she taught school in Joice. In 1944, she married her Waldorf sweetheart, Stanford Holtan.
After the war, Ruth and Stanford bought a farm just north of Forest City. She loved spending time with family, especially during their 4th of July get-togethers. She enjoyed making lefse, mashed potatoes, and apple pie, planning fun activities, and having kittens, puppies, and bunnies as a part of her family. She made as many as forty quilts a year for needy children around the world. She, also, made many wheel rugs and taught others how to make them. She shared her amazing energy and leadership skills with the Immanuel Lutheran Ladies Aid Society, the Winnebago Farm Bureau Women, the Sons of Norway, the Waldorf Board of Regents, and state and national Republican Party politics. She worked with volunteers for barbecues, parades, elections, and banquets. She loved creating special events and inviting neighbors and friends for some fun. Ruth and Stanford were an amazing team as they worked to help others learn about their ancestry.
Proud of their Norwegian heritage, Ruth compiled information for and wrote several books on family history. She and Stanford restored a log house and filled museums on their farm with old articles to help all of us remember our past. They helped to establish Heritage Park, and in 2001, they moved there to continue developing museums, finding volunteers, and giving tours. They traveled to Norway, other places in Europe including Russia, and China as well as all around North America. They loved visiting their family and friends. They hosted the first AFS foreign exchange student in Forest City. After being chosen as the Iowa Mother of the Year in 1977, she developed a Forest City Young Mothers group to help strengthen the role of mothers. Ruth was twice appointed by Governor Branstad to the Commission on the Status of Women.
A life-long supporter of Waldorf College, Ruth received, in 1993, the Waldorf Alumni Distinguished Service Award “For extraordinary leadership and contribution to Christian higher education and public affairs, and for exemplary service to church and community.” She made learning fun and encouraged hard work.
She laughed, she shared, she dreamed, she triumphed, she listened, she celebrated, she encouraged, she loved, she honored, and she served.
Ruth (Tweeten) Holtan is survived by her siblings, Jim and Ruth Tweeten, of Lake Mills, Stanley and Joyce Tweeten, of Manly, Luther and Eloyce Tweeten, of Columbus, Ohio, and Maynard and Marilyn Tweeten, of Joice; her sister-in-law, Dorothy and Herb Heller (Florida); and her brother-in-law, Harry Halvorsen (Minnesota).
Blessed with eight children, Jerry, Audrey, Keith, Phil, Paul, Steve, John, and Ron, Stanford and Ruth were the proud grandparents of ten grandsons, ten granddaughters, and fifteen great-grandchildren: Jerry and Donna Holtan, of Ames, Iowa, their son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Jennifer Holtan (Ames), and children, Zach, Tyler, and Isaac; Audrey and Steve Olmstead, of Forest City, their daughter and son-in-law, Sue Anne and Tom Hadacek (Forest City), and children, Isabelle, Josephine, and Charles, their daughter and son–in-law, Casey and Todd Sink (Texas), and children, Kylie and Lexi; Keith and Jacalyn Holtan, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, their son and daughter-in-law, Ross and Nina (DC), their son and daughter-in-law, Grant and Brooke (New York), and daughter and son-in-law, Jackee and Matt Port (Minnesota), their son and daughter-in-law, Rev. Phil and Merrie Sue Holtan, of Perham, Minnesota, their daughter, Elise (Pennsylvania), their son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Mark and Dr. Haley (Minnesota), and children, Roberta and Matilda, and their daughter, Johanna (Scotland); Helen Holtan (daughter-in-law) of Savage, Minnesota, her daughter-in-law, Dr. Sarah, and children, Helena and Drew (Wisconsin), her daughter, Miranda (Minnesota), and her son, Nicholas, and fiancée, Emma (Minnesota); Steve and Donna Holtan, of Morris, Illinois, their daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Paul Weghorst (Illinois), and daughter, Samantha Holtan and daughter and son-in-law, Shaylin and Dan Bunting (Illinois); Dr. John and Eileen Holtan of Love's Park, Illinois, son and daughter-in-law, Luke and Tracy (Wisconsin), son, Dr. Matt (Florida), and daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Emily and Dr. Ben Abeyta (Texas), and child, Ben; Dr. Ron and Pam Holtan, of Stanhope, Iowa, daughter and son-in-law, Kristine and John Hodges, (Bondurant), son, Michael (Ames), and son and daughter-in-law, Brandon and Amanda, and child, Huck (Des Moines).
Ruth is preceded in death by her parents; Gilbert and Mae Tweeten; her siblings, Alvin (Cecel) (Mattie) Tweeten, Olive (Leonard) Gilbertson, and Komer (Marian) Johnson; her sisters-in-law, Bess Tweeten and Ardith Halvorsen; and her brother-in-law, Rolfe (Maretta) Holtan; her son, Paul; her daughter-in-law, Linda (Haugen) Holtan, and her grandson, Andrew Holtan.
Funeral service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Monday, March 30, 2015, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City with Pastor Rod Hopp officiating. A time to greet the family will begin at 1:00 PM. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 PM on Sunday, March 29, 2015, at the Cataldo Schott Funeral Home, 505 North Clark Street, Forest City. Burial will take place at Oakland Cemetery in Forest City.
Memorials may be sent to Waldorf College, the Heritage Park of North Iowa, Immanuel Lutheran Church, or to the van fund at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Forest City, Iowa.
Copyright © 2015, Cataldo Schott Funeral Home
Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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