Ruth D. Storvick

Ruth Dorothy Struxness Storvick died on May 21, 2014, at Eventide on Eighth in Moorhead from a stroke she suffered on May 6. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28 in Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, MN. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Wright Funeral Home in Moorhead and one hour preceding the service in the church. Interment will be at Prairie Home Cemetery, Moorhead. Memorials may be given to the donor’s choice.

Ruth Dorothy Struxness Storvick was born March 24, 1926 in Belgrade, MN to Reverend Edward and Julia Nash Struxness. She was baptized and later confirmed by her father. Ruth received her public school education in Belgrade graduating from the high school as valedictorian in 1943 and was active in musical organizations. She also worked as a telephone switchboard operator and spent summers on a family farm near Buxton, ND.

In 1943 she entered Luther College and graduated magna cum laude in 1947 with majors in Chemistry and Classics. She earned most of her college expenses by working half time in the registrar’s office and she was active in choral groups. After graduation she stayed on the staff of the college as Recorder and housemother of Sunnyside residence for freshmen women.

She married Olin Storvick on March 19, 1949 and they moved to Ann Arbor, MI so he could attend graduate school at the University of Michigan. Ruth was employed by the tabulating division of the university before Helen was born and as a secretary in the Export Division of Kaiser-Frazer automobile corporation for two years before Rolf was born.
The family lived in Athens, Greece in 1954-55 so Olin could attend the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. On their return from Greece they spent a month traveling in Europe and sailed home from Norway.

In 1955 they moved to Moorhead as Olin accepted a position in the classics department at Concordia College. Solveig, Karen and Eric joined the family in those years. She was active in the Women’s League, a group of faculty wives and women faculty which was instrumental in raising funds to support women faculty. She served a term as president and edited their cookbook. The family spent two periods of leave from Concordia: in Ann Arbor, MI in 1961-1962 and in Cincinnati, OH in 1968-1969.

Upon their return to Moorhead, Ruth was employed by Concordia College as secretary, first in the Language Villages and from 1970-1978 with CHARIS, the ecumenical center at the college and from 1978-1988 with the Liberal Arts Studies office. She retired in 1988 and devoted herself to daily visits to elderly neighbors and to service at Trinity with the Caring Center and a funeral serving group. She rendered invaluable assistance to her husband’s work by managing children and home while he spent summers in Ann Arbor working on his dissertation and later while he did fifteen summers of field archaeology in the Middle East as well as leading many student tours to Greece.

She and Olin enjoyed travels to Europe on many occasions and once to Japan and Okinawa. They also delighted in attending events and special occasions in the lives of their children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Olin and five children. Helen Mrs. David Saude of Winnipeg, MB, Rolf Karen Lund of Mankato, MN, Solveig Mrs. Steven R. Pollei of Tacoma, WA, Karen Mrs. James E. Markert of Blaine, MN and Eric Diane Reque of Mankato, MN; twelve grandchildren, Kjersten Saude Gallagher John of Vancouver, BC, Erik Robyn Saude of Calgary, AB, Kristofor Gemma Storvick of Austin, TX, Hans Amy Storvick of Minnetonka, MN, Marit Pollei Kinney Matt of Vallejo, CA, Bryn, Andrea, Julia and James Markert of Blaine, MN, and Anders, Peder and Kai Storvick of Mankato, MN; and six great-grandchildren, Rynn Gallagher of Vancouver, BC, Mark, Clara and Olin Saude of Calgary, AB and Theron and Annika Storvick of Austin, TX.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Melanchthon, Randolph, Edward, Erling and David; two sisters, Esther Mrs. Robert Magladry of Baltimore, MD and Alice Mrs. Ralph Rogness of Owatonna, MN. She is survived by three sisters, Freda Mrs. Theodore Jacobsen of Decorah, IA, Irene Ulvilden Sawatzky of Peoria, IL and Solveig Mrs. Len Korot of Tucson, AZ.

The family expresses warm thanks to the people of Sanford Hospital in Fargo and Eventide on Eighth for their compassionate and excellent care of her.