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Ruth Lois Maertens of Phoenix, Arizona, a past resident of Fulda, passed away on May 17, 2026, at the age of 103 in Phoenix.
Ruth was born on July 3, 1922, in Fargo, North Dakota and was raised in Evergreen Township where her father was a Lutheran minister of a country church. Her parents were Rev E. T. and Hulda Hilpert. Ruth was the oldest of four children, Marie, Edward Jr, and John. While living at the Evergreen parsonage, Ruth’s mother became suddenly ill and passed away. At seventeen, Ruth took a year off from school to help with her younger siblings, the youngest being just five years old. The siblings and father remained extremely close throughout their lives. Ruth returned to and graduated from Frazee High School. She then moved to Minneapolis where she attended secretarial school and met her future husband, Warren. They were married in 1942, just before Warren’s deployment in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After the war, Ruth and Warren lived in Minneapolis and Des Plaines, Illinois. There they were blessed by a daughter, Lois, and a son, John. The family moved back to Minneapolis in 1956, where son, James, was later born.
Ruth and Warren enjoyed many vacations, which usually involved lakes, cabins and family camping. They later were able to purchase their own lake cabin in Outing, MN, which they enjoyed for many years. In retirement, they had many opportunities to travel to places such as Hawaii, Phoenix and Texas.
In 1992, Ruth and Warren moved to Fulda, MN, to be near son John and his family. Ruth relocated to Phoenix after Warren’s passing. There she had many years close to her daughter Lois and family.
Ruth made church and family the center of her life, with many friend groups from church and bridge clubs. She was always positive, optimistic, faithful, cheerful, and beloved. She is survived by her three children, Lois (Mark) Francis of Phoenix, John (Jean) of Fulda, and James (Sarah) of Minneapolis. She also loved her six grandchildren (Jamie, Philip, Jacob, Allison, Andrew and Linnea) and eight great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren, to whom Ruth was happily married for over sixty years, by her parents, and by all three siblings.
A family graveside service is planned in Fulda for later in the summer. The Totzke Funeral Home in Fulda is assisting the family with arrangements.
