Ruth W. Nelson

Ruth Nelson passed away on March 14, 2012 at St Gabriel’s Hospital on her husband Sigfred’s Birthday. Ruth Wilhelmina Gebert Nelson was born on August 23, 1917 in Princeton, Minnesota to William & Ida (Noeske) Gebert. She was the oldest of four children. She attended school in Princeton, graduating in 1935 and also graduated from the School of Agriculture in St. Paul in 1937. She worked as a County Extension 4-H Club Agent in Morrison, Benton & Sherburne Counties until she married Sigfred Nelson on October 5, 1939 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Princeton. They built a new house on 80 acres in Rail Prairie Township. Ruth and Sig raised four children, Ruth Ann, Betty Lou, JaNahne (Jan) and Gerald (Jerry). In 1948, her family was selected by the Minneapolis Tribune as “The Representative Upper Midwest Family”, the copy of the Tribune they were featured in was sealed in a Century Vault to be opened in 2048. In 1961, Camp Ripley purchased their farm and they bought a home overlooking Lake Alexander. In 1969 Ruth was selected as Minnesota Mother of the Year. Ruth and Sig traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada. She was active in 4-H, Luther League, Rural Youth Group in Morrison County, the Evangelical Free Church in Lincoln for Women’s Ministries and Sunday School Teacher. She was employed by Sears for 21 years. After retirement, she and Sig traveled to Elder Hostels throughout the United States. She enjoyed working in her flower gardens. She and Sig resided on Lake Alexander until 1998 when they sold their home and moved to Little Falls. Ruth is survived by daughters, Ruth Bullard of Marysville, WA; Betty (Ron) Backes of The Villages, FL; JaNahne (Neil) McCready-Johnson of Coon Rapids, MN; and son, Gerald (Nancy) of Annapolis, MD; brothers Chet Gebert and Harold (Verna) Gebert of Fargo, ND; 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Sigfred; parents; brother, Donald Gebert; grandchildren Dean Bullard and Dena Mashek. Memorials preferred to Lincoln Evangelical Free Church or Gideons International in lieu of flowers.

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Ruth W. Nelson

August 23, 1917 - March 14, 2012