Ruth Larson

Ruth Arlene Larson, 89,

Minot, former longtime

resident of Velva, died

Wednesday, November

13, 2019 under hospice

care and surrounded by

her loving family in a

Minot Assisted Living

Care Center.

Ruth was born August

23, 1930 on the family

farm in Velva Township

of McHenry County to

Gaylord and Mildred (Ol-

son) McDowell. She was

raised on the family farm

near Velva and educated

at Velva, graduating from

Velva High School in

1948. She attended Minot

Business College for one

year and was employed as

a medical secretary for

Trinity Hospital for

several years.

Ruth was united in

marriage to Dr. Richard

Larson on April 19, 1969

in Oak Valley Lutheran

Church, Velva. They

made their home in Velva

throughout the years,

where they raised their

three children and she

was employed alongside

her husband at the Velva

Clinic and Medical

Center. Dr. Larson died on

January 18, 2000. She has

continued to live in Velva

until recently moving to

the Wellington Assisted

Living Facility in Minot.

Throughout the years,

Ruth was a member of

Oak Valley Lutheran

Church, Velva, where she

had been baptized and

confirmed and was active

in Church Circle and Bi-

ble study groups. She was

also a member of the Vel-

va American Legion Auxi-

liary, Sons of Norway and

did volunteer work at the

Souris Valley Care Center

in Velva. Her hobbies and

interests included cross-

word puzzles, traveling,

reading, Dominoes, play-

ing cards, Chinese check-

ers with her grandchil-

dren, along with attending

Velva Aggies sporting

events and Minnesota

Vikings football games.

Ruth’s loving family in-

cludes: children, Tamara

Helgeson, Minot and

Christine Larson (Jim)

Fischer, Fargo; stepchil-

dren, Leslie Gaska, Ro-

chester, MN, Joey (Stan)

Szarek, Chandler, AZ,

Vicki (Lee) Reiser, and

Kim (Steve) Brubaken;

grandchildren, Julia Mill-

er, Jared Miller, Jenna

Miller, David (Krystal)

Helgeson; Cassondra

Helgeson (Cameron Ship-

man), Richard (Heathar)

Trisko, Jason (Kelly)

Trisko, Dustin Reiser,

Amanda Brubaken, Brady

(Amanda) Brubaken; great

grandchildren, Clayton

and Brylee Helgeson

among numerous step

great grandchildren, along

with several nieces,

nephews and cousins.

Ruth was preceded in

death by: her husband of

31 years, Dr. Richard Lar-

son; son, Steven; brother,

Jerry (Lorraine)

McDowell; and sisters,

Betty Holte and Beverly

(Alan) Yuly.

Celebration of Life ser-

vice: Monday, November

18, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. in

Oak Valley Lutheran

Church, Velva.

Anyone wishing to view

the service live can do so

by accessing

(mtmsales.net/live)

Interment: Velva Com-

munity Cemetery, Velva.

Visitation: Sunday, No-

vember 17th from

3:00-5:00 p.m. in Thomas

Family Funeral Home,

Minot.

Memorials: are pre-

ferred to Caring Edge Hos-

pice, Minot or Souris Val-

ley Care Center, Velva.

Those wishing to sign

the online memorial regis-

ter of share memories are

invited to use the expres-

sions of sympathy section

at www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.