http://mrshojo.blogspot.com/2010/10/happy-89th-birthday-aunt-ruth.html
I haven't put any pictures of Aunt Ruth on this memorial blog. If you click on the link above, it will take you to my October 12th blog where I shared several pictures.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Aunt Ruth's Memorial Service
I talked to Sandra last night and heard about the special service that was held at Bethel yesterday afternoon following the burial at Bethel Lutheran Cemetery. There was a lot of snow, but Garnet Gilbertson had done a great job of clearing out the area that was needed. The pastor at Bethel is away on holidays so Martin Christensen had the graveside service as well as the service at the church at 2:00.
I wanted to spend the afternoon in a special way. I put our CD, "The Tie That Binds" in the Bose player and spent that hour tying a quilt that I brought back from Trinity, Torquay last Monday. Aunt Ruth always enjoyed our singing and encouraged us to make a recording "before your voices get too old". When we were planning the celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Johnson farm in 2007, Clare suggested that we make a CD of our music and give those as souvenirs instead of mugs or other tokens. We are blessed to have The Daae Family's recording studio just over twenty miles from our farm. We spent quite a few hours at their farm north-west of Bromhead. Shannon added her beautiful violin music on one piece and accompanied us on another. Guitars were added on a few numbers and Micheal and Daniel did a great job of putting it all together. Lauren designed the special label using the picture of the original homestead. We had 100 copies made, but have had requests for more so must have more produced soon. Aunt Ruth didn't have a CD player so Laurel made a copy on a cassette tape for her. Yesterday, "Each Step I Take" was played over the speaker system as the family left the service. It was one of Aunt Ruth's favorites.
Aunt Ruth was disappointed that the ladies at Bethel didn't do any quilting. One year when we didn't have much filler to put in our ELW quilts at Torquay, I was led to contact Aunt Ruth. I suggested that if she wanted to get involved in a quilting project, we would welcome a gift to help us buy batting. One quilting day shortly before my birthday, I went to the post office at noon and picked up the mail. There was a birthday card from Aunt Ruth, along with a cheque for our ELW quilting fund. I passed the cheque around the dinner table in the church kitchen and one lady asked "Is this for real?" The cheque was for $1000, not the hundred or so that I thought she might help us out with. One of her joys in life was in giving to charities that she felt were good causes. She also enjoyed shopping at flea markets and garage sales for items to include in baby layettes for Lutheran World Relief or LAMP.
Aunt Ruth had chosen several of her favourite hymns to be sung at the service. Special friends, Helga Svee and Magna Norheim, sang two of them accompanied by Magna on her accordion. Sheila Anderson sang a lovely solo. Wendy (Anderson) Patzer played for the service. Grandson Derek Morgan read a poem that Ruth had written and enclosed in her 2008 Christmas greeting.
All of Aunt Ruth's immediate family were able to attend - Melodie and Lloyd Morgan, son Derek and his wife Amy, son Curtis and his wife Cara along with their daughter Gracyn, daughter Kaeley Morgan all from Saskatoon and Coralie Geving from Maple Creek. (Little Gracie is Aunt Ruth's only great-grandchild but will be joined by a sister or brother in a few months.)
Aunt Ruth's nieces and nephews were represented by my sister, Sandra Sanford from Frontier and my brother Alan Erickson of Frontier. A display of flowers, pictures and handiwork done by Aunt Ruth over the years was on display. She made numerous wallhangings of a prairie elevator scene that I think Mom had designed. Some are likely hanging in Norway.
One of Aunt Ruth's longtime friends, Edith (Gilbertson) Dumontel was seated with the family. Ruth and Edith had been friends since high school days in Frontier. They attended Bible school at Outlook, SK where they also became special friends with Norma and Ellen. It was Aunt Ruth's dream that the four of them should get together when they all turned ninety years of age. But that was not to be. Edith and Ruth went to "Normal School" (teachers college) together in Moose Jaw and both became teachers. For several years both couples lived in Frontier. After Oscars' passing, Edith's husband Henry was a big help to Aunt Ruth. He was a carpenter and helped with maintenance at her house in town as well as the cabin at Cypress. Edith is ninety, lives in the seniors housing in Frontier. She still drives her own car and brought several ladies with her to the service.
Although we weren't able to attend the service, I felt like I had been a part of it. And Aunt Ruth will continue to be a part of my life as so many things remind me of her. Today we walked to the Weyburn Library and I remembered how she loved to read. Coralie would order books for her from the library. She would read community history books from cover to cover. When she could no longer read them, Sandra would read to her from the Frontier history book. Aunt Ruth would add comments and share memories of that person or family. I'm so glad that Aunt Ruth was part of my life and enriched it in so many ways.
I wanted to spend the afternoon in a special way. I put our CD, "The Tie That Binds" in the Bose player and spent that hour tying a quilt that I brought back from Trinity, Torquay last Monday. Aunt Ruth always enjoyed our singing and encouraged us to make a recording "before your voices get too old". When we were planning the celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Johnson farm in 2007, Clare suggested that we make a CD of our music and give those as souvenirs instead of mugs or other tokens. We are blessed to have The Daae Family's recording studio just over twenty miles from our farm. We spent quite a few hours at their farm north-west of Bromhead. Shannon added her beautiful violin music on one piece and accompanied us on another. Guitars were added on a few numbers and Micheal and Daniel did a great job of putting it all together. Lauren designed the special label using the picture of the original homestead. We had 100 copies made, but have had requests for more so must have more produced soon. Aunt Ruth didn't have a CD player so Laurel made a copy on a cassette tape for her. Yesterday, "Each Step I Take" was played over the speaker system as the family left the service. It was one of Aunt Ruth's favorites.
Aunt Ruth was disappointed that the ladies at Bethel didn't do any quilting. One year when we didn't have much filler to put in our ELW quilts at Torquay, I was led to contact Aunt Ruth. I suggested that if she wanted to get involved in a quilting project, we would welcome a gift to help us buy batting. One quilting day shortly before my birthday, I went to the post office at noon and picked up the mail. There was a birthday card from Aunt Ruth, along with a cheque for our ELW quilting fund. I passed the cheque around the dinner table in the church kitchen and one lady asked "Is this for real?" The cheque was for $1000, not the hundred or so that I thought she might help us out with. One of her joys in life was in giving to charities that she felt were good causes. She also enjoyed shopping at flea markets and garage sales for items to include in baby layettes for Lutheran World Relief or LAMP.
Aunt Ruth had chosen several of her favourite hymns to be sung at the service. Special friends, Helga Svee and Magna Norheim, sang two of them accompanied by Magna on her accordion. Sheila Anderson sang a lovely solo. Wendy (Anderson) Patzer played for the service. Grandson Derek Morgan read a poem that Ruth had written and enclosed in her 2008 Christmas greeting.
All of Aunt Ruth's immediate family were able to attend - Melodie and Lloyd Morgan, son Derek and his wife Amy, son Curtis and his wife Cara along with their daughter Gracyn, daughter Kaeley Morgan all from Saskatoon and Coralie Geving from Maple Creek. (Little Gracie is Aunt Ruth's only great-grandchild but will be joined by a sister or brother in a few months.)
Aunt Ruth's nieces and nephews were represented by my sister, Sandra Sanford from Frontier and my brother Alan Erickson of Frontier. A display of flowers, pictures and handiwork done by Aunt Ruth over the years was on display. She made numerous wallhangings of a prairie elevator scene that I think Mom had designed. Some are likely hanging in Norway.
One of Aunt Ruth's longtime friends, Edith (Gilbertson) Dumontel was seated with the family. Ruth and Edith had been friends since high school days in Frontier. They attended Bible school at Outlook, SK where they also became special friends with Norma and Ellen. It was Aunt Ruth's dream that the four of them should get together when they all turned ninety years of age. But that was not to be. Edith and Ruth went to "Normal School" (teachers college) together in Moose Jaw and both became teachers. For several years both couples lived in Frontier. After Oscars' passing, Edith's husband Henry was a big help to Aunt Ruth. He was a carpenter and helped with maintenance at her house in town as well as the cabin at Cypress. Edith is ninety, lives in the seniors housing in Frontier. She still drives her own car and brought several ladies with her to the service.
Although we weren't able to attend the service, I felt like I had been a part of it. And Aunt Ruth will continue to be a part of my life as so many things remind me of her. Today we walked to the Weyburn Library and I remembered how she loved to read. Coralie would order books for her from the library. She would read community history books from cover to cover. When she could no longer read them, Sandra would read to her from the Frontier history book. Aunt Ruth would add comments and share memories of that person or family. I'm so glad that Aunt Ruth was part of my life and enriched it in so many ways.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
No More Struggles
Last night when we turned to our devotional booklet, "Our Daily Bread", the heading for Tuesday's devotion read "No More Struggles". It fit in so perfectly as our thoughts were of Aunt Ruth, her family and friends as they gather for a celebration of her life today. "Our Daily Bread" was a favourite devotional booklet of Aunt Ruth's. One year she gave gift subscriptions as Christmas gifts. I am going to quote from yesterday's devotion as it is so fitting for Aunt Ruth.
"Often the process of dying is a struggle. But death itself need not be feared by the believer in Christ - for it will bring us to heaven. In Revelation 21:1-4 John gives a wonderful description of what eternity with God will be like. The New Jerusalem will be a place where God lives with His people eternally, and it will be a place of "no more"-no more pain, sorrow and sickness. We don't know very much about eternity, but we do know that for the Christian, whatever our emotional and physical struggles are now, they will cease then. Life with God will be better by far." (Marvin Williams)
"Think of a land of no sorrow,
Think of a land of no fears,
Think of no death and no sickness,
Think of a land of no tears." (Anon)
Today we find comfort in knowing that Aunt Ruth has gone Home to that place of no sorrow, fears, death, sickness or tears. Blessed be the memory of this dear woman of faith.
"Often the process of dying is a struggle. But death itself need not be feared by the believer in Christ - for it will bring us to heaven. In Revelation 21:1-4 John gives a wonderful description of what eternity with God will be like. The New Jerusalem will be a place where God lives with His people eternally, and it will be a place of "no more"-no more pain, sorrow and sickness. We don't know very much about eternity, but we do know that for the Christian, whatever our emotional and physical struggles are now, they will cease then. Life with God will be better by far." (Marvin Williams)
"Think of a land of no sorrow,
Think of a land of no fears,
Think of no death and no sickness,
Think of a land of no tears." (Anon)
Today we find comfort in knowing that Aunt Ruth has gone Home to that place of no sorrow, fears, death, sickness or tears. Blessed be the memory of this dear woman of faith.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Memories from Esther (Moen) Gulbranson
From the Canadian remembrances, I always thought Aunt Ruth was so young, and, rightfully so, as, she was the ripe old age of 17 when your Mom was 19. and, I was 7 at that time. We moved to the states about that time, and, I hardly knew her when her hair had changed from her natural color either....if it ever did.!! And, I also had another memory about the same time of your mom being so beautiful, and, sending these 3 girls gifts at Christmas that were so beautifully gift wrapped with her beautiful hand writing included.
When I think of Aunt Ruth, I think of how much she enjoyed the Hostfest at Minot each year. We had the enjoyment of meeting her and a lady friend companion there, and ended up sharing a couple of nights in their friends' basement 2-bedroom apartment. They had found out, she had an October birthday, so, each year, there would be a cake and funny gifts and a celebration for her. This apartment renting arrangement wasn't 'let out' except for her and when she said to them that we were looking for a place to spend a couple of nights, they said being it was a relative of Aunt Ruth's, we were welcome !!!! Her Norwegian brog was so distinct that after I had been in her company for just a couple of hours, I had PICKED IT UP right away. Believe me, this isn't hard for me, my Norwegian accent is always there.
The popular singer, Bjoro Haaland was both hers and my favorite feature at this festival, and, she and I would enjoy two performances of his while there...less for others!! And, we always had to make sure we had the lutefisk delicacy together.
She referred talking to "Mary" on one of our last visits. with a little delay when I answered, I'm Esther, and, she'd say, I'm sorry, you look JUST like her, and, I was just reminiscing. I was FLATTERED and she continued visiting with ME !!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Link to Aunt Ruth's obituary from Binkley's Funeral Home, Shaunavon
http://fpbfssl.sasktelwebhosting.com/Obituaries/2011/GEVING%20RUTH/ruthgevingfull.htm
Just click on the above link and it will take you to the obituary. Elaine
Just click on the above link and it will take you to the obituary. Elaine
Pictures of Aunt Ruth from Doris (Moen) Murray
These pictures were taken of Aunt Ruth and my mother on her trip to the Oregon coast, May 1992. She also visited Marvin and Doris in Coos Bay, Oregon and Barbara and Dennis in Eugene, Oregon.
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| Aunt Marie Moen and Aunt Ruth Geving Rhododendrons in Barb's yard |
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| Aunt Ruth and Aunt Marie Shore Acres Park, Oregon coast |
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