Ruth Arlene Huebner

Ruth Arlene Huebner was born March 9, 1933, in Grafton North Dakota, the only child of Lawrence and Blanche Thompson.  Ruth grew up on a farm near Park River, 30 miles from Canada, and 30 miles from Minnesota, where she learned to work hard, love animals, raise a garden, and care for 200 turkey pullets each summer, which provided her with money for her college tuition and expenses.

Ruth attended a one-room rural schoolhouse for the first 8 grades. A horse and sleigh were the only winter transportation to school, but she loved school and rarely missed a day. Ruth attended high school in Park River and loved being involved in many activities. She played the saxophone in band, accompanied musical groups, and loved sports. She received her bachelor’s degree in education at the University of North Dakota, and her advanced degrees in Colorado. After graduation, Ruth taught for three years in California. Then she randomly chose Denver to apply for a job, was hired, and taught for 30 years at Hill Junior High School. It was a challenging, exciting, and rewarding career.

In Denver, Ruth met Walt Huebner over a bridge game, and they were married on July 29, 1962.   In 1965, they had a son, Brett Lee, who died in infancy. During their marriage, they lived in Lakewood, near Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, where they became members in 1965.  They enjoyed their home and there was plenty of space for a huge garden. Ruth enjoyed entertaining, and they hosted many events at their home. Some of her interests were sewing, cooking, entertaining, flower gardening, holidays, sports (especially Broncos football) and traveling in and out of the United States. She and Walt traveled to every state researching and recording their family roots. When the research ended, they wrote a book about each branch and gave one to all their siblings, cousins, and friends. After 49 great years, Walt passed away in 2011.

Friends played a big role in Ruth’s life. She and Walt were part of a closely knit group of friends, the 39 and Holding Group, which now includes 4 generations and has been together more than 60 years.

Holy Shepherd was also a big part of life. Her spiritual commitment kept her active in many different aspects of church life. The Huebner Scholarship Fund has been their investment in helping young people pursue their educational goals.

Ruth was also proud of her Norwegian heritage. She was active in the Trollheim Sons of Norway lodge and always kept “a touch of Norway” in her home and each year entertained with a Norwegian dinner including Lutefisk on Christmas Eve.

With her health declining, Ruth moved into a MorningStar Assisted Living facility in July, 2022.  She passed away peacefully on April 5^th, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, Ruth asked that donations be made to the Huebner Scholarship Fund at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church.