Ruth Ellingson, 101, formerly of Williston, ND, died June 29, 2016 in Portland, OR. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home of Williston is assisting the family.

Ruth Elizabeth Ellingson was born March 29, 1915 to Norwegian immigrants Anna & Henry Haugen on their homestead near Epping, ND. Ruth attended Epping public schools graduating as valedictorian in 1933. She graduated from Minot State Teachers College and taught in one-room rural schools for four years before teaching primary grades in Epping and Williston, ND.

In 1941 she married Sanford L. Ellingson and moved to St Paul, MN where Sanford trained for the Railway Mail System. They were soon separated when Stanford served in the Army in Europe during WWII and Ruth lived with her parents on the family farm and raised their first child.

Following the war, Ruth & Sanford settled down in Williston, built a home and raised their five children. In 1963 Ruth went back to work as a hot lunch cook at Rickard Elementary School for several years. She then received a calling to help organize and teach at the UMARC school for disadvantaged adults until retirement in 1977. She felt this work was the most challenging yet most rewarding experience of her career.

Throughout her life, Ruth volunteered in community, church, school, civic, and senior citizen activities, Camp Fire Girls, Boy Scouts, Bible Camp counseling, and as a hospital nurse’s aid. At age 80 Ruth was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the Governor of ND. She continued volunteering until age 92 at the local nursing home and served several years as resident Ombudsman.

A debilitating hip fracture in 2011 resulted in Ruth moving to McMinnville, OR to be nearer to family. She was inquisitive and unafraid of change; desiring to reach 100 years “to see how things come out”. Ruth lived the verses “Life is real, life is earnest, and the grave is not its goal” until her last day. She demonstrated steadfast faith in God her entire life and appreciated hard work, family, and nation as well as interesting food, discussions, cards, or Scrabble games.

Ruth died in Portland, OR on June 29, 2016. Preceding Ruth in death were her parents and four siblings, Sanford in 1983 and son Steven L. (Betty Zine Bradley) Ellingson in 1993. Surviving Ruth are four children; James H. (Kathy) Ellingson of Stanley, ND, Janet (Gary) Noland, John (Judy) Ellingson, Roger (Marie) Ellingson in Oregon and eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.