Ruby Irene Carstensen

Ruby Irene Carstensen was born at Denison, Iowa, October 9, 1920, the daughter of Hugo Paul and Minnie Weinbrandt Schramm. She was received into God’s Kingdom of Grace through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at the First United Methodist Church, Denison, Iowa, August 19, 1922, and confirmed in her Christian Faith May 9, 1943, at Zion Lutheran Church, Denison, Iowa. She was raised on the farm west of Denison receiving her elementary education in the rural schools. The family moved to Denison when she was in the ninth grade and she attended the Denison High School until halfway through her senior year. She later received her G.E.D. at Western Iowa Tech in Denison December 2, 1975. On January 28, 1943, Ruby was united in marriage with Lawrence Carstensen at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. They made their home on the farm north of Denison where Ruby was a farmwife for 25 years. Lawrence died September 14, 1968, and Ruby remained on farm until 1971 when she moved to Denison where she had since resided. From 1978 until it closed Ruby was employed for Bill Lien’s Ben Franklin Store. She then was employed at Reynold’s Clothing for several years and for her son Rick’s R. J. Vending. In her spare time she enjoyed playing bingo and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Ruby was a longtime active member of Zion Lutheran Church in Denison where she joined their Ladies Aid in 1964 and served as their president for two years and treasurer for four years. In addition to the Ladies Aid Ruby enjoyed their World Relief Quilting group, served as a teller for the church from 1988 until 2011 and was a former member of the Altar Guild. She enjoyed serving in the community and was a former member of the Crawford County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary working the snack bar for two years and joined the Wesco Auxiliary in 1990 and worked as a volunteer in their snack bar at bingo for 20 years. Ruby died Tuesday morning, February 5, 2013, at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital, Denison, Iowa, having been blessed with 92 years, 3 months and 26 days. Including her parents and husband, Ruby was also preceded in death by her sister Lillian Schramm Jenkins, brother-in-law Herbert Jenkins, sister-in-law Shirley Schramm and her daughter Linda Sample on February 9, 2011. Those remaining to cherish her memory include four children: Robert Carstensen and wife, Mary of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; Larry Carstensen and wife, Darlene of Denison, Iowa; Judy and husband, Russell Bubke of Ida Grove, Iowa; and Rick Carstensen and wife, Jane of Denison, Iowa; son-in-law Ted Sample of Rutherford, Tennessee; 8 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, two brothers: Hugo Schramm, Jr. of Muscatine, Iowa, and Albert Schramm and wife, Irene of Hay Springs, Nebraska, other relatives and friends. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 8, 2013 at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison with Rev. Kurt R. Kaiser and Rev. David M. Sewing officiating. Music for the service included Michael Anderson singing “On the Wings of a Snow White Dove” and Congregational hymns of “How Great Thou Art” and “I’m But a Stranger Here, Heaven is My Home” with Karen Kahl serving as organist. Pallbearers included Robert Carstensen, Larry Carstensen, Rick Carstensen, Patrick Carstensen, Russell Bubke and Ted Sample. Interment was at Crawford Heights Memory Gardens in Denison, Iowa. Following the interment, everyone was invited to return to the church for fellowship and a luncheon prepared and served by the Zion Ladies Aid. The Pfannebecker Funeral Home, www.pfannebecker.com , Denison, Iowa was in charge of arrangements.