Gloria E. Ruud

Gloria Evangeline Ruud died on Thursday, January 16, 2020, at Eventide on Eighth in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Gloria was born April 10, 1936, to Lloyd and Alma Larson of Fertile, Minnesota, and worked on the family farm.  She helped her mother preserve food from the garden and raise chickens. When the snow was deep, her father would walk ahead of her so that she could step in his footprints to get home from country school.  She said this was the reason she had a long stride although she was only five feet tall.

In 1958 Gloria graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.  She was a dedicated Cobber.  Her first teaching position was in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, where she met her husband Darrel Ruud.  They were married June 4, 1960.

Gloria and Darrel lived in a few Minnesota towns before finally settling down in 1975 with their three children in Moorhead.  Gloria was an active member of Christ the King Church and volunteered for many activities in support of her congregation as well as her children’s interests.  She was proud to be a small business owner, sewing doll clothes and selling them at craft fairs.  It was an opportunity to express her design talents as well as to meet other vendors and customers.  Gloria and Darrel traveled to many places in the world, but their favorite trips were to visit relatives in Norway and Sweden.

Gloria enjoyed gardening, jigsaw puzzles, marshmallows, great friendships, her family, and good laughs.  She is survived by her husband, Darrel Ruud; daughters Nancy (Kevin) Hanson and Kathy (Mike) Nordness; son, Darin (Jodi) Ruud; granddaughter, Heather Nordness; step grandson, Trevor Willert; brothers,Jerome Larson and Charles (Susan) Larson and nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her sister-in-law, Connie Larson.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 1st at 2:00 p.m., with visitation starting one hour before, at the Lutheran Church of Christ the King in Moorhead. Interment for both Darrel and Gloria will take place on Friday, June 18, 2021 at 2:00 P.M., at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Moorhead.

The family encourages you to consider making a contribution to your favorite charity in Gloria’s memory.  The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Eventide and Ethos for their care.