Ruth Louise Anderson, 89, passed peacefully from this life with her family and friends at her side on June 16, 2015. She was born on Feb. 14, 1926, in Mount Vernon, New York, to immigrant parents from Sweden, Joseph and Frida Olson. Ruth was very proud of her Swedish heritage and learned the Swedish language from her parents.
Her early years were spent living outside New York City, where she perfected such skills as jumping off the garage roof with an umbrella for a parachute. Her father's employment kept bringing the family closer to NYC, first to the Bronx, then near New Rochelle. Each move brought smaller living quarters.
Eventually her father took a position as sexton of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in lower Manhattan where they found a very small apartment nearby. The apartment had only one bedroom, so Ruth slept on the living room sofa. However, the family found a wonderful neighborhood of Swedes there, and she made friendships that lasted her entire life.
Ruth received her education in New York City. She started out as a professional secretary and continued in that profession during her lifetime, taking time off to raise her young children.
She especially enjoyed working for Steffick Equipment and the Montana Aeronautics Division in Helena. One of the things she wanted to do was to learn to pilot a plane, and had completed ground school.
Ruth met her future husband, soul mate and life's companion, John Stanley Anderson, at church choir at Gustavus Adolphus Church during World War II while he was stationed in New York City. They continued singing together in different choirs at various churches where they lived.
John and Ruth were married in June 1948 after John graduated from New York Medical School and a wonderful life started for them together. Four children were added to this union.
Because of his medical training and being recalled back to military service many times, they moved frequently. From New York City, they started out in Akron, Ohio, then moved to New Orleans, Zushi, Japan, Wichita, Kansas, and Pueblo, Colorado. Ruth always wanted to live in the "real" West and her dream was fulfilled in 1961 when John became the director of the Montana State Health Department, and they finally came to Helena, where they lived "happily ever after."
Some of the activities Ruth enjoyed were square dancing, hiking and cross country skiing. She particularly liked hiking up Mount Helena on a regular basis, and did this well into her 70s. Out-of-town visitors were invited to join her, and there are some great tales of those treks. She took up running and continued this into her 70s. She often won in her age division and was very proud of her running awards. She also just enjoyed being outdoors enjoying nature.
She loved music, and was so grateful to her mother for cleaning other people's apartments in NYC in order to provide her with piano lessons. She sang in the choir of every church she attended, including St. John's in Helena, and only stopped when John was unable to continue. She absolutely adored being part of St. John's bells choir. One of her favorite things was attending the Symphony Under the Stars in Helena.
Ruth and John traveled through the Elderhostel program. They visited many places in the U.S., plus international trips to the Scandinavian countries, which included Iceland and the Baltic Sea countries.
Her family was everything to her. She and John were not only a true love match, but remarkably compatible and did almost everything together. She was a wonderful and devoted mother to her four children, and provided a role model that they still aspire to live up to. And when grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, that was just the most terrific thing in the world to her.
She made friends everywhere she lived and treasured and maintained these friendships during her lifetime. She became an avid scrapbooker, and many books are filled with her pictures and descriptions, helping to keep our family history recorded for generations to come.
Ruth was active at St John's Lutheran Church in Helena. She was so grateful for the life she had that whenever possible she would help those in need, and there is not enough room here to list all those she so kindly helped in big ways and small throughout her lifetime. She did this easily and from her heart.
Affectionately known as "Momo" to her family, she leaves behind a lasting legacy of faith, love of friends and family and service to others. We will miss her massively, as she leaves behind shoes too big to fill. Thank you, Mom, for all your love, laughter and kindness. We know where you are.
She is preceded in death by her husband John, who passed on Jan. 20, 2015. She is survived by her four children, Linnea Blair, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, John K. Anderson, Missoula, Linda (Kerry) Swindler, Mott, North Dakota, and Carol (K. Bill) Clark, Missoula; five grandchildren, Erin (Bill) Oberlander, Nathan (Angie) Swindler, Hollie (Lewis) Kuppler, Cairn (Laura) Clark and Seth Clark; and four great-grandchildren.
The family would especially like to thank all the people who helped her and her family during her final stage of life: the staff at Touchmark, the staff on the medical floor of St Peter's Hospital, Hospice, Anna Mae, Steve and Christi, Sheryl, Darlene, Blake, Pastor Brad, and all the other special friends who enriched Mom's last year of life.
Please join us at the service to honor her life, Saturday, June 27, 2 p.m., St. John's Lutheran Church. A reception will follow. Interment of cremains will be for family at Fort Harrison, Monday, June 29.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St John's Lutheran Church Sanctuary Choir Fund, 1000 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601; or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter, P.O. Box 21269, Seattle, WA, 98111-3269. A great way to honor Ruth would be to volunteer to help someone out in her memory.
Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer condolences to the family or to share a memory of Ruth.
Lyckan kommer lyckan går,
den Gud älskar lyckan får
Happiness comes, happiness goes
The one who loves God receives happiness and success
Published in the June 21, 2015 editions of both the Helena (MT) Independent Record and the Missoula (MT) Missoulian
Her early years were spent living outside New York City, where she perfected such skills as jumping off the garage roof with an umbrella for a parachute. Her father's employment kept bringing the family closer to NYC, first to the Bronx, then near New Rochelle. Each move brought smaller living quarters.
Eventually her father took a position as sexton of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in lower Manhattan where they found a very small apartment nearby. The apartment had only one bedroom, so Ruth slept on the living room sofa. However, the family found a wonderful neighborhood of Swedes there, and she made friendships that lasted her entire life.
Ruth received her education in New York City. She started out as a professional secretary and continued in that profession during her lifetime, taking time off to raise her young children.
She especially enjoyed working for Steffick Equipment and the Montana Aeronautics Division in Helena. One of the things she wanted to do was to learn to pilot a plane, and had completed ground school.
Ruth met her future husband, soul mate and life's companion, John Stanley Anderson, at church choir at Gustavus Adolphus Church during World War II while he was stationed in New York City. They continued singing together in different choirs at various churches where they lived.
John and Ruth were married in June 1948 after John graduated from New York Medical School and a wonderful life started for them together. Four children were added to this union.
Because of his medical training and being recalled back to military service many times, they moved frequently. From New York City, they started out in Akron, Ohio, then moved to New Orleans, Zushi, Japan, Wichita, Kansas, and Pueblo, Colorado. Ruth always wanted to live in the "real" West and her dream was fulfilled in 1961 when John became the director of the Montana State Health Department, and they finally came to Helena, where they lived "happily ever after."
Some of the activities Ruth enjoyed were square dancing, hiking and cross country skiing. She particularly liked hiking up Mount Helena on a regular basis, and did this well into her 70s. Out-of-town visitors were invited to join her, and there are some great tales of those treks. She took up running and continued this into her 70s. She often won in her age division and was very proud of her running awards. She also just enjoyed being outdoors enjoying nature.
She loved music, and was so grateful to her mother for cleaning other people's apartments in NYC in order to provide her with piano lessons. She sang in the choir of every church she attended, including St. John's in Helena, and only stopped when John was unable to continue. She absolutely adored being part of St. John's bells choir. One of her favorite things was attending the Symphony Under the Stars in Helena.
Ruth and John traveled through the Elderhostel program. They visited many places in the U.S., plus international trips to the Scandinavian countries, which included Iceland and the Baltic Sea countries.
Her family was everything to her. She and John were not only a true love match, but remarkably compatible and did almost everything together. She was a wonderful and devoted mother to her four children, and provided a role model that they still aspire to live up to. And when grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, that was just the most terrific thing in the world to her.
She made friends everywhere she lived and treasured and maintained these friendships during her lifetime. She became an avid scrapbooker, and many books are filled with her pictures and descriptions, helping to keep our family history recorded for generations to come.
Ruth was active at St John's Lutheran Church in Helena. She was so grateful for the life she had that whenever possible she would help those in need, and there is not enough room here to list all those she so kindly helped in big ways and small throughout her lifetime. She did this easily and from her heart.
Affectionately known as "Momo" to her family, she leaves behind a lasting legacy of faith, love of friends and family and service to others. We will miss her massively, as she leaves behind shoes too big to fill. Thank you, Mom, for all your love, laughter and kindness. We know where you are.
She is preceded in death by her husband John, who passed on Jan. 20, 2015. She is survived by her four children, Linnea Blair, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, John K. Anderson, Missoula, Linda (Kerry) Swindler, Mott, North Dakota, and Carol (K. Bill) Clark, Missoula; five grandchildren, Erin (Bill) Oberlander, Nathan (Angie) Swindler, Hollie (Lewis) Kuppler, Cairn (Laura) Clark and Seth Clark; and four great-grandchildren.
The family would especially like to thank all the people who helped her and her family during her final stage of life: the staff at Touchmark, the staff on the medical floor of St Peter's Hospital, Hospice, Anna Mae, Steve and Christi, Sheryl, Darlene, Blake, Pastor Brad, and all the other special friends who enriched Mom's last year of life.
Please join us at the service to honor her life, Saturday, June 27, 2 p.m., St. John's Lutheran Church. A reception will follow. Interment of cremains will be for family at Fort Harrison, Monday, June 29.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St John's Lutheran Church Sanctuary Choir Fund, 1000 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601; or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter, P.O. Box 21269, Seattle, WA, 98111-3269. A great way to honor Ruth would be to volunteer to help someone out in her memory.
Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer condolences to the family or to share a memory of Ruth.
Lyckan kommer lyckan går,
den Gud älskar lyckan får
Happiness comes, happiness goes
The one who loves God receives happiness and success
Published in the June 21, 2015 editions of both the Helena (MT) Independent Record and the Missoula (MT) Missoulian
Ruth Louise Anderson, 89, passed peacefully from this life with her family and friends at her side on June 16, 2015. She was born on Feb. 14, 1926, in Mount Vernon, New York, to immigrant parents from Sweden, Joseph and Frida Olson. Ruth was very proud of her Swedish heritage and learned the Swedish language from her parents.
Her early years were spent living outside New York City, where she perfected such skills as jumping off the garage roof with an umbrella for a parachute. Her father's employment kept bringing the family closer to NYC, first to the Bronx, then near New Rochelle. Each move brought smaller living quarters.
Eventually her father took a position as sexton of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in lower Manhattan where they found a very small apartment nearby. The apartment had only one bedroom, so Ruth slept on the living room sofa. However, the family found a wonderful neighborhood of Swedes there, and she made friendships that lasted her entire life.
Ruth received her education in New York City. She started out as a professional secretary and continued in that profession during her lifetime, taking time off to raise her young children.
She especially enjoyed working for Steffick Equipment and the Montana Aeronautics Division in Helena. One of the things she wanted to do was to learn to pilot a plane, and had completed ground school.
Ruth met her future husband, soul mate and life's companion, John Stanley Anderson, at church choir at Gustavus Adolphus Church during World War II while he was stationed in New York City. They continued singing together in different choirs at various churches where they lived.
John and Ruth were married in June 1948 after John graduated from New York Medical School and a wonderful life started for them together. Four children were added to this union.
Because of his medical training and being recalled back to military service many times, they moved frequently. From New York City, they started out in Akron, Ohio, then moved to New Orleans, Zushi, Japan, Wichita, Kansas, and Pueblo, Colorado. Ruth always wanted to live in the "real" West and her dream was fulfilled in 1961 when John became the director of the Montana State Health Department, and they finally came to Helena, where they lived "happily ever after."
Some of the activities Ruth enjoyed were square dancing, hiking and cross country skiing. She particularly liked hiking up Mount Helena on a regular basis, and did this well into her 70s. Out-of-town visitors were invited to join her, and there are some great tales of those treks. She took up running and continued this into her 70s. She often won in her age division and was very proud of her running awards. She also just enjoyed being outdoors enjoying nature.
She loved music, and was so grateful to her mother for cleaning other people's apartments in NYC in order to provide her with piano lessons. She sang in the choir of every church she attended, including St. John's in Helena, and only stopped when John was unable to continue. She absolutely adored being part of St. John's bells choir. One of her favorite things was attending the Symphony Under the Stars in Helena.
Ruth and John traveled through the Elderhostel program. They visited many places in the U.S., plus international trips to the Scandinavian countries, which included Iceland and the Baltic Sea countries.
Her family was everything to her. She and John were not only a true love match, but remarkably compatible and did almost everything together. She was a wonderful and devoted mother to her four children, and provided a role model that they still aspire to live up to. And when grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, that was just the most terrific thing in the world to her.
She made friends everywhere she lived and treasured and maintained these friendships during her lifetime. She became an avid scrapbooker, and many books are filled with her pictures and descriptions, helping to keep our family history recorded for generations to come.
Ruth was active at St John's Lutheran Church in Helena. She was so grateful for the life she had that whenever possible she would help those in need, and there is not enough room here to list all those she so kindly helped in big ways and small throughout her lifetime. She did this easily and from her heart.
Affectionately known as "Momo" to her family, she leaves behind a lasting legacy of faith, love of friends and family and service to others. We will miss her massively, as she leaves behind shoes too big to fill. Thank you, Mom, for all your love, laughter and kindness. We know where you are.
She is preceded in death by her husband John, who passed on Jan. 20, 2015. She is survived by her four children, Linnea Blair, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, John K. Anderson, Missoula, Linda (Kerry) Swindler, Mott, North Dakota, and Carol (K. Bill) Clark, Missoula; five grandchildren, Erin (Bill) Oberlander, Nathan (Angie) Swindler, Hollie (Lewis) Kuppler, Cairn (Laura) Clark and Seth Clark; and four great-grandchildren.
The family would especially like to thank all the people who helped her and her family during her final stage of life: the staff at Touchmark, the staff on the medical floor of St Peter's Hospital, Hospice, Anna Mae, Steve and Christi, Sheryl, Darlene, Blake, Pastor Brad, and all the other special friends who enriched Mom's last year of life.
Please join us at the service to honor her life, Saturday, June 27, 2 p.m., St. John's Lutheran Church. A reception will follow. Interment of cremains will be for family at Fort Harrison, Monday, June 29.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St John's Lutheran Church Sanctuary Choir Fund, 1000 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601; or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter, P.O. Box 21269, Seattle, WA, 98111-3269. A great way to honor Ruth would be to volunteer to help someone out in her memory.
Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer condolences to the family or to share a memory of Ruth.
Lyckan kommer lyckan går,
den Gud älskar lyckan får
Happiness comes, happiness goes
The one who loves God receives happiness and success
Published in the June 21, 2015 editions of both the Helena (MT) Independent Record and the Missoula (MT) Missoulian
Her early years were spent living outside New York City, where she perfected such skills as jumping off the garage roof with an umbrella for a parachute. Her father's employment kept bringing the family closer to NYC, first to the Bronx, then near New Rochelle. Each move brought smaller living quarters.
Eventually her father took a position as sexton of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in lower Manhattan where they found a very small apartment nearby. The apartment had only one bedroom, so Ruth slept on the living room sofa. However, the family found a wonderful neighborhood of Swedes there, and she made friendships that lasted her entire life.
Ruth received her education in New York City. She started out as a professional secretary and continued in that profession during her lifetime, taking time off to raise her young children.
She especially enjoyed working for Steffick Equipment and the Montana Aeronautics Division in Helena. One of the things she wanted to do was to learn to pilot a plane, and had completed ground school.
Ruth met her future husband, soul mate and life's companion, John Stanley Anderson, at church choir at Gustavus Adolphus Church during World War II while he was stationed in New York City. They continued singing together in different choirs at various churches where they lived.
John and Ruth were married in June 1948 after John graduated from New York Medical School and a wonderful life started for them together. Four children were added to this union.
Because of his medical training and being recalled back to military service many times, they moved frequently. From New York City, they started out in Akron, Ohio, then moved to New Orleans, Zushi, Japan, Wichita, Kansas, and Pueblo, Colorado. Ruth always wanted to live in the "real" West and her dream was fulfilled in 1961 when John became the director of the Montana State Health Department, and they finally came to Helena, where they lived "happily ever after."
Some of the activities Ruth enjoyed were square dancing, hiking and cross country skiing. She particularly liked hiking up Mount Helena on a regular basis, and did this well into her 70s. Out-of-town visitors were invited to join her, and there are some great tales of those treks. She took up running and continued this into her 70s. She often won in her age division and was very proud of her running awards. She also just enjoyed being outdoors enjoying nature.
She loved music, and was so grateful to her mother for cleaning other people's apartments in NYC in order to provide her with piano lessons. She sang in the choir of every church she attended, including St. John's in Helena, and only stopped when John was unable to continue. She absolutely adored being part of St. John's bells choir. One of her favorite things was attending the Symphony Under the Stars in Helena.
Ruth and John traveled through the Elderhostel program. They visited many places in the U.S., plus international trips to the Scandinavian countries, which included Iceland and the Baltic Sea countries.
Her family was everything to her. She and John were not only a true love match, but remarkably compatible and did almost everything together. She was a wonderful and devoted mother to her four children, and provided a role model that they still aspire to live up to. And when grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, that was just the most terrific thing in the world to her.
She made friends everywhere she lived and treasured and maintained these friendships during her lifetime. She became an avid scrapbooker, and many books are filled with her pictures and descriptions, helping to keep our family history recorded for generations to come.
Ruth was active at St John's Lutheran Church in Helena. She was so grateful for the life she had that whenever possible she would help those in need, and there is not enough room here to list all those she so kindly helped in big ways and small throughout her lifetime. She did this easily and from her heart.
Affectionately known as "Momo" to her family, she leaves behind a lasting legacy of faith, love of friends and family and service to others. We will miss her massively, as she leaves behind shoes too big to fill. Thank you, Mom, for all your love, laughter and kindness. We know where you are.
She is preceded in death by her husband John, who passed on Jan. 20, 2015. She is survived by her four children, Linnea Blair, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, John K. Anderson, Missoula, Linda (Kerry) Swindler, Mott, North Dakota, and Carol (K. Bill) Clark, Missoula; five grandchildren, Erin (Bill) Oberlander, Nathan (Angie) Swindler, Hollie (Lewis) Kuppler, Cairn (Laura) Clark and Seth Clark; and four great-grandchildren.
The family would especially like to thank all the people who helped her and her family during her final stage of life: the staff at Touchmark, the staff on the medical floor of St Peter's Hospital, Hospice, Anna Mae, Steve and Christi, Sheryl, Darlene, Blake, Pastor Brad, and all the other special friends who enriched Mom's last year of life.
Please join us at the service to honor her life, Saturday, June 27, 2 p.m., St. John's Lutheran Church. A reception will follow. Interment of cremains will be for family at Fort Harrison, Monday, June 29.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St John's Lutheran Church Sanctuary Choir Fund, 1000 Helena Ave., Helena, MT 59601; or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter, P.O. Box 21269, Seattle, WA, 98111-3269. A great way to honor Ruth would be to volunteer to help someone out in her memory.
Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer condolences to the family or to share a memory of Ruth.
Lyckan kommer lyckan går,
den Gud älskar lyckan får
Happiness comes, happiness goes
The one who loves God receives happiness and success
Published in the June 21, 2015 editions of both the Helena (MT) Independent Record and the Missoula (MT) Missoulian
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