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Ruth Ivon Wilson was born September 19, 1923 in Staunton, Illinois, the second child of Clarence and Eliza (Swank) Wilson.
Soon thereafter, the family moved to a farm in eastern Iowa. Ruth attended Country School near La Porte City, Iowa and graduated La Porte City High School in1940.
On August 10, 1945, Ruth was managing the Coast to Coast hardware store in Vinton, Iowa and met the District Manager for the Central Organization of Coast to Coast Stores in Minneapolis, Mel Elofson. They were married on April 21, 1946.
Ruth and Mel began their life together in Anoka, Minnesota, and during the first two and one-half years of married life she accompanied him on his "travels" throughout his Midwest/Mountain states territory assisting Coast to Coast Store owners. Later the Elofson's moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In the spring of1956, Ruth and Mel purchased the Coast to Coast Store in Wayne, Nebraska and both worked full-time in the store.
In 1983, after 27 years in Wayne (and Mel's 40th year with Coast to Coast Stores) they retired. For a time afterward, Ruth worked for the new store owners in Wayne, Jack and Leslie Hausmann.
Mel was later diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and Ruth was his primary care-giver until he entered Elkhorn Manor in 1990. Ruth then moved to Fremont to be close to Mel, as well as, their two sons Larry and Rick. A special report on Alzheimer's in the March 16, 1993 Fremont Tribune chronicled their story. Mel passed away in December, 1994. Ruth played a significant role in assisting her son Larry in the raising of his two children, Jeannie and Jason, then 13 and 10.
In the early 90's, Ruth participated in a program of the state extension service called New Homebuilders, where she made special friends. They later formed their own monthly social club, Friends Forever.
As a member of Fremont's First United Methodist Church, Ruth regularly provided food and served in the kitchen whenever possible, as a volunteer for the Funeral Committee. She and Mel were formerly members of the First United Methodist Church in Wayne.
In September 1995, Ruth joined the AARP Foundation's Senior Community Service Employment Program and worked as a Teacher's Aide at the now-closed Northside Elementary School and she very much enjoyed working with the kids. The following year she became an Employment Specialist/Recruiter for that program.
During the 1999-2000 school year, Larry and his son Jason hosted an Arlington High School foreign exchange student named "Tony" from China. Ruth quickly became "Grandma" to Tony as well.
Ruth was a 12-year breast cancer survivor and her experience was highlighted in a special section of the
June 19, 2003 Fremont Tribune.
In October 2006, Ruth transferred from the AARP Foundation's program to the successor organization, Experience Works, Inc. Ruth continued to work until after her 84th birthday, with an official retirement date of November 15, 2007.
Ruth successfully beat a low-grade lymphoma with chemotherapy treatments in mid-2007, however, in late November a large mass was discovered in her brain. This proved to be a much more serious and aggressive high-grade type, Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. She chose the treatment option that provided her with the best quality of life and her family agreed. She was admitted to A.J. Merrick Manor on December 15th.
She is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law: Dean and Nancy Elofson of Tucson, AZ, Larry Elofson of Fremont, and Rick and Lynette Elofson of North Bend; eight grandchildren: Amanda, Jason (Amy), Mike, and Shari of Fremont, Chris and Kathryn of Tucson, AZ , Jeannie (Dan) Jaspersen of Salamanca, NY, and Michelle (Brett) Wilkins of Arlington; seven great-grandchildren; one sister: Murldene Harmon of Vinton, IA; two brothers and sisters-in-law: Kenneth and Bernadette Wilson of Mesa, AZ and Wayne and Sally Wilson of Denver, IA; one sister-in-law: Doris Elofson of Clearwater, FL; nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Mel; one brother, Dale and his wife Joline; and two brothers-in-law, Ralph Elofson and Ted Harmon.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association in consideration of the impact this disease had on Ruth's life and her family.
The funeral service for Ruth will be 10:30 AM Friday, Febr. 1, 2008 in the First United Methodist Church in Fremont with the Rev. Greg Hall officiating. A graveside service will be at 2:30 PM Friday in the Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne, Nebraska.
Visitation at the Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont will be on Thursday (Jan. 31st) from 2 to 8 PM, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 PM.
Soon thereafter, the family moved to a farm in eastern Iowa. Ruth attended Country School near La Porte City, Iowa and graduated La Porte City High School in1940.
On August 10, 1945, Ruth was managing the Coast to Coast hardware store in Vinton, Iowa and met the District Manager for the Central Organization of Coast to Coast Stores in Minneapolis, Mel Elofson. They were married on April 21, 1946.
Ruth and Mel began their life together in Anoka, Minnesota, and during the first two and one-half years of married life she accompanied him on his "travels" throughout his Midwest/Mountain states territory assisting Coast to Coast Store owners. Later the Elofson's moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In the spring of1956, Ruth and Mel purchased the Coast to Coast Store in Wayne, Nebraska and both worked full-time in the store.
In 1983, after 27 years in Wayne (and Mel's 40th year with Coast to Coast Stores) they retired. For a time afterward, Ruth worked for the new store owners in Wayne, Jack and Leslie Hausmann.
Mel was later diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and Ruth was his primary care-giver until he entered Elkhorn Manor in 1990. Ruth then moved to Fremont to be close to Mel, as well as, their two sons Larry and Rick. A special report on Alzheimer's in the March 16, 1993 Fremont Tribune chronicled their story. Mel passed away in December, 1994. Ruth played a significant role in assisting her son Larry in the raising of his two children, Jeannie and Jason, then 13 and 10.
In the early 90's, Ruth participated in a program of the state extension service called New Homebuilders, where she made special friends. They later formed their own monthly social club, Friends Forever.
As a member of Fremont's First United Methodist Church, Ruth regularly provided food and served in the kitchen whenever possible, as a volunteer for the Funeral Committee. She and Mel were formerly members of the First United Methodist Church in Wayne.
In September 1995, Ruth joined the AARP Foundation's Senior Community Service Employment Program and worked as a Teacher's Aide at the now-closed Northside Elementary School and she very much enjoyed working with the kids. The following year she became an Employment Specialist/Recruiter for that program.
During the 1999-2000 school year, Larry and his son Jason hosted an Arlington High School foreign exchange student named "Tony" from China. Ruth quickly became "Grandma" to Tony as well.
Ruth was a 12-year breast cancer survivor and her experience was highlighted in a special section of the
June 19, 2003 Fremont Tribune.
In October 2006, Ruth transferred from the AARP Foundation's program to the successor organization, Experience Works, Inc. Ruth continued to work until after her 84th birthday, with an official retirement date of November 15, 2007.
Ruth successfully beat a low-grade lymphoma with chemotherapy treatments in mid-2007, however, in late November a large mass was discovered in her brain. This proved to be a much more serious and aggressive high-grade type, Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma. She chose the treatment option that provided her with the best quality of life and her family agreed. She was admitted to A.J. Merrick Manor on December 15th.
She is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law: Dean and Nancy Elofson of Tucson, AZ, Larry Elofson of Fremont, and Rick and Lynette Elofson of North Bend; eight grandchildren: Amanda, Jason (Amy), Mike, and Shari of Fremont, Chris and Kathryn of Tucson, AZ , Jeannie (Dan) Jaspersen of Salamanca, NY, and Michelle (Brett) Wilkins of Arlington; seven great-grandchildren; one sister: Murldene Harmon of Vinton, IA; two brothers and sisters-in-law: Kenneth and Bernadette Wilson of Mesa, AZ and Wayne and Sally Wilson of Denver, IA; one sister-in-law: Doris Elofson of Clearwater, FL; nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Mel; one brother, Dale and his wife Joline; and two brothers-in-law, Ralph Elofson and Ted Harmon.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association in consideration of the impact this disease had on Ruth's life and her family.
The funeral service for Ruth will be 10:30 AM Friday, Febr. 1, 2008 in the First United Methodist Church in Fremont with the Rev. Greg Hall officiating. A graveside service will be at 2:30 PM Friday in the Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne, Nebraska.
Visitation at the Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont will be on Thursday (Jan. 31st) from 2 to 8 PM, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 PM.