Ruby D. Melland, age 94 of Williston, passed away Monday, August 21, 2017 surrounded by her family at Bethel Lutheran Home in Williston, ND. Her funeral arrangements are with Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home of Williston.

Ruby Delores (Thorseth) Melland was born October 22nd, 1922 to Theodore and Cora (Flaten) Thorseth. She was born at home with Mrs. Gordon as the mid-wife.

Ruby was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran Faith at Epping Lutheran Church. In her later years she was a member of Our Redeemers Lutheran Church in Williston.

She attended school in Epping, graduating with the class of 1940. She always told us kids that English/Grammar was her favorite subject.
Ruby was united in marriage to Merrill Melland on December 8th, 1945. To this union together were born five children, resulting in seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Ruby worked for her uncle Alfred Thorseth at the Epping Café in her youth. During World War II in 1942, she worked as a key punch operator in Seattle, WA for Boeing Aircraft. Ruby made her career as a bookkeeper for thirty five years at First National Bank and Trust in Williston until her retirement. She also enjoyed the Foster Grandparent program, working as a “grandma” for Williston Head Start in her senior years.

Mom enjoyed going for rides in the country and around Williston, family get togethers, watching TV, reading her Guidepost magazine and was an avid crossword puzzle solver. She waited each day for the Williston Herald to arrive to complete these puzzles. Mom enjoyed “Bingo” times while at the assisted living centers Arbor House and at Bethel Home. In her younger years she loved dancing and was for many years a member of the Moose Lodge in Williston.
A “special appreciation” goes to her son Doug for his ever present devoted care.

We enclosed a poem written by Mom. In her later years she loved to leave little notes everywhere. Her family would always get a good chuckle reading them as we found them. One of the family favorites is “The Yellow Submarine” (Mom’s yellow sheets). We will miss you, Mom!

She is survived by her five children; Judy (Jim) Seidel; Douglas Melland, Michael Melland, Jane (Dean) Urbatsch, Joy (Bruce) Anderson; seven grandchildren; Troy (Nancy) Seidel, Chad (Trish) Seidel, Nikki (Jeff) Harts, Brock Melland, Shawn (Adrianna) Urbatsch, Joby (Abby) Anderson, Amanda (Clint) Carnes; ten great-grandchildren; Jensen and Porter Seidel, Alyssa Arnson, Peyton Harts, Ariana Mae Seidel, Anthony Haase, Dalton Urbatsch, Brynlee and Nora Carnes, arriving soon baby boy Anderson and numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Merrill, her grandson Cody Melland, her parents, her father and mother-in-law, two sisters; Alice Jacobson and Eunice Pretzer and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.