Ruth Fisher

Ruth Fisher, 97, a resident of St. Francis Nursing Home, Breckenridge, MN, formerly Wahpeton, ND, and Pettibone, ND, passed away Tuesday, May 24, 2011 surrounded by her family. Ruth's Celebration of Life Service will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 31, at Bethel Lutheran Church, Wahpeton, with visitation Monday, from 5 PM to 7 PM, with a 7 PM prayer service at Willow Creek Chapel, Wahpeton and one hour before the service at church on Tuesday. There will be a graveside service Tuesday, 5:30 PM at Weiser Cemetery, Pettibone, ND. There will ber a lunch served after the graveside service at the Pettibone Community Center. Vertin-Munson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Ruth Alberta Marquardt was born April 22, 1914, the second of three children born to Hazel (Stinchcomb) and Albert Marquardt. She grew up with her sister Elizabeth (Betty) Franzen and brother Frederick (Buster) Marquardt on the Marquardt homestead three miles west of Pettibone, ND. She graduated from Pettibone High School in 1932. Following graduation, she helped with the family farm and ranch activities along with livestock consignment for the Pettibone Livestock Shipping Association, which her father managed.
Ruth became a schoolteacher in 1938 after passing the state teaching exam. She taught for six years in one-room schools in Chestina, Lake Williams, and Weiser townships in northern Kidder county and Marstonmoor in Stutsman county. In 1944, Ruth and her sister Betty Franzen purchased the Koehler store in Pettibone. This was a general merchandise store that handled everything: food, clothing, hardware, guns, saddles, you-name-it, they probably had it. There was also a small lunch counter that accommodated the early morning coffee crowd as well as the late night bar crowd. It was also a gathering place for high school students to catch up on the news and baseball scores. It was here that she became a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, although the Minnesota Twins became a close second choice.
Ruth married John Fisher of Tappen, ND on July 16, 1949 in Detroit Lakes, MN. Together they farmed and ranched on the Fisher homestead north of Tappen where they raised three sons. Ruth was a lifelong member of Malcolm Congregational Church (rural Pettibone) assuming active roles in Sunday school, Candlelighter, and Youth Fellowship programs. She was a lifelong member of the Order of Eastern Star Steele Chapter No. 118 and Wahpeton Chapter 3. Ruth and John moved to Wahpeton in June of 2000; shortly after John entered the Golden Manor Nursing Home, Steele, ND. John passed away in December of 2004. Ruth entered the loving care of St. Francis Home in August of 2007.

Ruth is survived by her three sons: Neal (Debbie) Fisher of Bismarck, ND; Jay (Marlys) Fisher of Minot, ND; Hal (Diane) Fisher of Wahpeton, ND; her grandchildren, Joshua Fisher, Tappen; Adrienne Fisher, Detroit Lakes, MN; Audra Fisher, St. Louis, MO; Tara (Josh) Dukart, Bismarck; Janelle Fisher, Bismarck; Jason and Michael Fisher, Fargo; Jordan, Julia, and Jocelyn Fisher, Wahpeton; one nephew, Greg (Marcy) Marquardt, Pettibone; two nieces, Char Adamsons, Jacksonville, FL; and Pat Krieg (Dennis Matuga)of Tucson, AZ.