Ruth Vavra

Ruth Louise Vavra, age 92, formerly of Swanville, died Friday, August 24, 2007 at St. Ottos Care Center in Little Falls. Funeral services will be Friday, August 31, 11 am, at St. Peters Lutheran Church in Swanville, with Reverend Linden Wendzel officiating. A visitation is being held one hour prior to services. Interment will at the Swanville Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to either the St. Peters Lutheran Church Cemetery Fund in Swanville or to St. Peters Lutheran Church in Randall.
Ruth was born November 27, 1914 in Burnhamville Township, Todd County, to Awald and Wilhemina (Denien) Steuck. She was united in marriage to William Vavra in Long Prairie Township on September 25, 1934. For 37 years the couple farmed and raised their family nine miles north of Swanville, in Culdrum Township, Morrison County. Ruth also worked as a seamstress at Munsingwear in Little Falls for several years. She was widowed after 68 years of marriage when William died on September 1, 2003. She was a member of St. Peters Lutheran Church in Swanville and, in more recent years, of St. Peters Lutheran Church in Randall. She taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for sixteen years in Swanville, and was a member and past-president of the Ladies Aid there. She enjoyed painting with oils and growing flowers, and belonged to a garden club. She created handmade quilts and also enjoyed other needlecrafts. She and William crossed the USA many times, visiting national parks and monuments. They were able to visit Alaska and, after retirement, they enjoyed twenty winters together in Mesa, AZ. Ruth usually had a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face, and her sense of humor remained with her to the very end of her life on this earth.

Ruth was deeply loved and will be sadly missed by her two children, Dale (Karen) Vavra, of Duluth and Betty (Roger) Johnson, of Rochester; four grandchildren, Stephanie Vavra, Mark Vavra, Twyla Aamon, and Melissa Schmit; six great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mildred Dempsey, of Long Prairie and Wilhemina Holler, of Long Prairie; and two brothers, Fred Steuck, of Long Prairie, and Awald WallySteuck, of Crosby. She was preceded in death by her parents, Awald and Wilhemina (Denien) Steuck; her husband, William Vavra; a son, LeRoy Vavra; four brothers, Herbert, Hubert, Reinold, and Rueben; and a sister, Esther. Services entrusted to Randall Funeral Home. www.brenny.com