Ruth Malkerson

Ruth Malkerson, age 95, of Milbank, SD, died peacefully at her apartment at Wellshire Park Place on Sunday, June 7, 2020.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at Living Word Lutheran Church in Milbank. Visitation will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank and will continue one hour prior to the service at church on Saturday. Pastor Kent Groethe will officiate the service and burial will take place in the Milbank Cemetery.

Ruth Harriet (Danielson) Malkerson was born on December 25, 1924, to Andrew and Lillian (Bergman) Danielson of Artichoke Township at the Ortonville Hospital. She was the eldest of five children and the only child of Lillian and Andrew Danielson to be born in a hospital. The reasons for this were the unpredictable winter weather and the distance from town! Ruth’s pilgrimage into the Christian faith began with baptism as an infant at Eidskog Lutheran Church in rural Ortonville, MN. As a teenager, she was confirmed at Eidskog by Pastor J. Leland.

Ruth attended District #52 through sixth grade. She attended seventh and eighth grades in Correll, MN. She attended Ortonville High School and graduated in 1942. After high school, Ruth attended Teachers Training School. She became a rural teacher for five years. Ruth was united in marriage with David J. Malkerson on June 19, 1948, at Eidskog Lutheran Church near Ortonville, MN.

Ruth and David would settle down and make their home in Milbank, SD. Their first home was on Diggs Avenue. Ruth and David’s first born, a son, Kerry, came along in 1949. Then a girl, Danielle, was born in 1952 and another girl, Sonya, was born in 1954. Ruth worked as a homemaker until all her children were in school. Ruth worked at J. C. Penny Department store for 20 years and David worked at the Milbank Post Office.

Heaven could not wait for David. Instead of being able to enjoy the empty nest time of life, Ruth found herself alone on Christmas Eve in 1983. Ruth’s son, Kerry, also went to be with our Lord in August of 2017. She sold her house on South Viola Street and moved into an apartment on Milbank Avenue in 1989. She later moved to an apartment on Seventh Street.

Ruth was able to take a trip abroad to see the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany in 1990. She also took a trip to the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. She made trips to visit with Kerry’s family, to North Dakota to visit Danielle’s family, and to California to visit Sonya’s family.

She enjoyed spending her free time down at the family cottage on Big Stone Lake, fishing with her husband and family, and walking the corn fields during hunting season. During the holidays, Ruth could be found making lefsa and potato sausage. During the summer, she would spend her days off of work canning peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, cherries, and green beans.

Ruth was a member of the Living Word Lutheran Church since its inception. Previous to that, she had been a member of the American Lutheran Church in Milbank.

Ruth is survived by her daughters: Danielle (Nick) Brandner of Freeman, SD; and Sonya (Kelly) Amman of Cathedral City, CA; grandchildren: Beau (Sarah) Brandner of Eagan, MN; Joshua (Charlet) Brandner of Mound, MN; Dr. Matthew Brandner, DC, of Sioux Falls, SD; David (Melissa) Amman, Paul (Twilla) Malkerson of Emory, TX; and Lisa Adair of Mesquite, TX; 5 great-grandchildren; and 1 great great-grandchild.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, David; son, Kerry Malkerson; daughter-in law, Theresa Malkerson; her parents: Lillian and Andrew Danielson; brothers: Arlo, Jacob, Robert, and Lornell; mother and father-in-law: Agnes and Peter Malkerson; sisters-in-law: Vi Rabe, Jean Danielson, Arlene Danielson, and Delores Danielson; and brothers-in-law: Harold Rabe and John Elliott.

Cards and memorials may be sent to: 626 S. Dewald Street, Freeman, SD 57029