Ruth Turvold, 92

Published 10:53 am Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Ruth I. Turvold, 92, of Oakland, died on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea. Ruth Ingeborg Underdahl was born June 6, 1921, in Conrad, Mont., to Christian and Anna (Midge) Underdahl.

Ruth Turvold

After graduating from Galata High School in Galata, Mont., Ruth attended Northern Montana College in Havre, Mont.  Following graduation she worked as a teacher’s aide in Galata Elementary School. As a young adult, she and her cousin moved to Oakland where Ruth continued her work in education with Oakland schools. She also worked as a librarian in Austin and Albert Lea,and as a substitute teacher for Austin Public Schools. Ruth met Arville Turvold after arriving in Oakland. They were together many years, and were married Sept. 18, 1992, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Arville passed away in July of 1995, and Ruth continued to reside on the farm in Oakland until moving to the Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea in 2012. She was a longtime member of Oakland Lutheran Church, and faithfully attended Crane Community Chapel in Austin. Ruth enjoyed singing and playing the guitar and accordion. She especially loved horses and her cats. She, along with her friends Shirley, Lavonne and Syrlene, were faithful in their study of the Bible. Ruth loved kids, and she and Arville thought of their nieces and nephews as their own children.

Survivors include nieces and nephews (her ‘kids’) Debra (Robert) Sombke of Alvarado, Dawn (Douglas) Weitzel of Albert Lea, Dennelle (James) O’Byrne of Albert Lea, Darrel Turvold of Albert Lea, Dustin Turvold of Oakland and Donovan (Gail) Turvold of Cosmos; many other nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Christian and Anna Underdahl; husband, Arville Turvold; cousin, Clara; and other extended family members.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Crane Community Chapel in Austin with the Rev. Dale Christiansen officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Worlein Funeral Home in Austin and one hour prior to the service at the church on Sunday. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Oakland. Worlein Funeral Home of Austin is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.