A Life Lived on Her Terms

I bet a few of you are wondering what would get me to Minnesota in the winter; it was a funeral. But, don't be too sad. This little lady lived just one month shy of her 99th birthday. No, that's not a typo, Ruth was 98 years old when she passed last Tuesday.

Ruth Dahlke was Todd's gramma. I took this picture of the two of them back in September 2006, the first time I met her and the rest of Todd's family. For a woman, for a woman born when she was, for a woman from a small town, Ruth lived life on her terms. She even planned her own funeral. I was lucky enough not only to be a part of the family's goodbye, but to witness an entire town say goodbye to this woman.

If you want to learn a bit more about Ruth, read on....

From the Fairmont Sentinel

Ruth Nellie McCarron, the daughter of Peter J. and Julia (Whitney) McCarron, was born March 2, 1910, in Sherburn, Minn. She graduated from Sherburn High School in 1927 and attended Mankato State College, graduating in 1929 with a teaching degree. She began her teaching career in East Chain, where she taught for two years. Ruth was united in marriage to Vern "Cy" Dahlke on March 30, 1931, in Rockwell City, Iowa. They made their home in Sherburn, where Ruth continued teaching elementary school for the next 30 years. Cy passed away on Dec. 24, 1967.

During her lifetime, Ruth was an avid golfer, bowler and bridge player. She greatly enjoyed coffeeing with her friends and following her Twins and Vikings. She was especially proud to be mentioned in the book, "Daughters of the Game," which chronicles the first era of Minnesota girls high school basketball. She also enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ruth was a member of the Methodist Church and the Sherburn American Legion Auxiliary.

Those left to cherish her memory are her two daughters, Carron Klukow of Sherburn, Minn., and Deborah Danielson and fiance Steve Swift of Fairmont, Minn.; grandsons, Todd Klukow of Minneapolis, Minn., and Nicholas Danielson of Minneapolis, Minn.; granddaughters, Trudi Detert and her husband LaMar of St. Michael, Minn., and Courtney Danielson of Brooklyn, N.Y.; great-grandchildren, Brady Paul and Makena Ruth Detert; sister, Celia Forstrom of Fairmont, Minn.; sister-in-law, Doris Krumwiede of Sherburn, Minn.; nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.


Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Vern "Cy" Dahlke; six brothers, two sisters, five sisters-in-law and three brothers-in-law and other relatives.