Lois M. Ruhter, 89

Published 8:01 am Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Lois M. Ruhter, 89, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin.

Lois M. Ruhter, 89

Lois Marie Tabbert was born Feb. 14, 1929, on a farm by Stewart, Minnesota, the daughter of William and Adelia (Kasten) Tabbert. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Stewart. Lois was involved with the youth at St. Paul’s as well as the choir, teaching Sunday school and summer school. She worked on the family farm and made herself available to help anyone who needed it. Lois also held other jobs, including working in the kitchen at Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, for one year, as well as sewing slips at Strutwear in Glencoe, Minnesota. On May 14, 1950, Lois married Milton Ruhter of Brownsdale, Minnesota, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Stewart. Milton was a manager of the Commander Elevator in Waltham, Minnesota. Their union was blessed with five children. After three years of managing the elevator, it burned down, and the Ruhters moved to Stewart, where Milton then worked at the feed mill and the hatchery. In 1957, Lois and her husband moved back to Milton’s home farm in Brownsdale, where they resided until 2015. During those years, Lois worked at a nursing home in Austin as a registered nursing assistant for one year and then at Field Crest Care Center in Hayfield, Minnesota, for 25 years. In October of 2015, the couple moved to Primrose in Austin. Lois was a loving, dedicated family woman who will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her husband, Milton Ruhter of Austin; her children, Carol (David) Hutchinson of Spring Grove, Minnesota, Douglas (Barb) Ruhter of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, Burton (Mary Ann) Ruhter of Brownsdale, Audrey Thorpe of Austin, and Melissa (Steve) Nicholas of South Range, Michigan; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; sisters, LaVon Sifferath of Stewart, and Lucille Kachelmyer of Tacoma, Washington; many cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, William and Adelia Tabbert; her granddaughter, Brittany Nicholas; and brothers-in-law, Lloyd Sifferath and Bill Kachelmyer.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Waltham with Pastor Dwight DoBell officiating. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, at Worlein Funeral Home in Austin and will continue for one hour prior to the service on Thursday at the church. Interment will be in St. Michael’s Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials can be directed to St. Michael’s Lutheran Church or recipient of donor’s choice. Services pre-arranged and performed by Worlein Funeral Home of Austin. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.