Ruby Viola (Olson) STEGMAN

STEGMAN, OLSON, GRAFF, MOSHER, LOFTHUS, WELLEN, SKOY, LEPIRE, STOREY, FRIESTH, ELDAL, PETERSON, ENSIGN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/15/2010 at 11:38:50

August 14, 2010
Grand Forks Herald, North Dakota

September 16, 1914 -- August 11, 2010

Ruby V. Stegman, 95, of Cavalier, ND died Wednesday, August 11, 2010, at Wedgewood Manor, Cavalier.

Ruby Viola Olson was born September 16, 1914, to Elias and Thorborg Olson in Eagle Grove, Iowa. She was raised on farms in Iowa and attended country schools. Ruby worked in Chicago as a cook, housekeeper, and governess. After earning her nursing cap at Lutheran Deaconess, she worked for Dr. Wolf at his Ear, Eye, Nose, and Throat Clinic, and trained at Cook County Hospital. While on a visit to North Dakota, she met her husband to be Dan Stegman. They were married on September 16, 1936 in Badger, Iowa at the same Lutheran Church she was confirmed in. After their marriage they spent most of their life farming in the Bathgate area, where they raised their family. She also worked at the Bathgate School as a cook and nursed at the Cavalier hospital over 20 years. Ruby purchased the Axdal Hotel in Cavalier and ran the Cavalier Motor Lodge for five years until selling and retiring in 1979. Dan Stegman died on August 13, 2001.

Survivors include her children, Gerald Stegman, Warroad, MN; Carole (John) Graff, Owatonna, MN; Barb (Claude) Mosher, Detroit Lakes, MN; Darlene Lofthus, McVille, ND; Norma (Harlan) Wellen, Roosevelt, MN; Peg (Dave) Skov, Fargo, ND; Ialean Lepire (Dean Johnson) Fargo, ND; Maureen (Dale) Storey, Detroit Lakes, MN; 23 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; brother, Ole Olson and sister, Carrie Friesth. Also preceding her in death were her parents; brothers, Oscar and Lawrence Olson; sisters, Alvilda Olson, Olga Eldal, and Edna Peterson; three children and three sons-in-law, Noel Lofthus, Gary Ensign, and Camille Lepire.

Funeral services will be held Monday, August 16, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at the United Lutheran Church, Cavalier ND. Visitation at the church for one hour before the time of services. Burial in the Christ Lutheran Cemetery, Neche, ND. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Pembina County Memorial Hospital, Cavalier or the Christ Lutheran Cemetery, Neche.

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August 19, 2010
Cavalier Chronicle, North Dakota

Ruby V. Stegman, age 95, of Cavalier, died Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010, at Wedgewood Manor, Cavalier. Ruby Viola Olson was born Sept. 16, 1914, to Elias and Thorborg Olson in Eagle Grove, IA. She was raised on farms in Iowa and attended country schools. Ruby worked in Chicago as a cook, housekeeper, and governess. After earning her nursing cap at Lutheran Deaconess, she worked for Dr. Wolf at his ear, eye, nose, and throat clinic, and trained at Cook County Hospital. She met her husband-to-be, Dan Stegman while visiting in North Dakota. They were married Sept. 16, 1936 in Badger, IA at the same Lutheran Church she was confirmed in. They spent most of their life farming in the Bathgate area where they raised their family. They returned to Chicago to support the WWII effort. She also worked at the Bathgate School as a cook and nursed at the Cavalier hospital over 20 years. She tended a large garden, helped in the fields, and played the organ for 42 years at the Emanuel Lutheran Church. Ruby purchased the Axdal Hotel in Cavalier and ran the Cavalier Motor Lodge for five years until selling and retiring in 1979. Dan died Aug. 13, 2001.

A strong advocate of education and a great storyteller, Ruby took correspondence classes for writing and loved writing poems, stories, and kept a journal. She wrote memories of her childhood and her early years in a letter to her grandchildren, entitled “Cornhusks and Kernels.” The book was never published, but was lovingly typed and produced by her children and shared with her grandchildren. Ruby resided at Borg Home in Mountain for several years, where she played the piano and the accordion, and continued to write additional chapters to her book before transferring to Wedgewood Manor. She was an avid reader, and enjoyed crossword puzzles. Also, she crocheted, embroidered, and knit baby caps for newborns.

Ruby will be lovingly remembered as a mother who read to her children, taught them to pray, and brought laughter and music into their lives. Survivors include her children: Gerald Stegman, Warroad, MN, Carole (John) Graff, Owatonna, MN, Barb (Claude) Mosher, Detroit Lakes, MN, Darlene Lofthus, McVille, Norma (Harlan) Wellen, Roosevelt, MN, Peg (Dave) Skov, Fargo, Ialean Lepire (Dean Johnson), Fargo, and Maureen (Dale) Storey of Detroit Lakes, MN; 23 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; a brother, Ole Olson; and a sister, Carrie Friesth. Also preceding her in death were her parents; brothers: Oscar and Lawrence Olson; sisters: Alvilda Olson, Olga Eldal, and Edna Peterson; three children; and three sons-in-law: Noel Lofthus, Gary Ensign, and Camille Lepire.

Funeral services were Monday, August 16, at the United Lutheran Church in Cavalier with Rev. Beth Peterson officiating. Burial was in the Christ Lutheran Cemetery of Neche. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Pembina County Memorial Hospital in Cavalier or the Christ Lutheran Cemetery of Neche.