Ruth Dinesen
July 23, 1923 — December 19, 2016
Ruth Regene Dinesen, daughter of Leroy and Edna (Jensen) Nelson, was born on July 23, 1923 near Fiscus, Iowa. Ruth attended country school through the eighth grade but later completed her GED.
Ruth worked at a local dentist as his assistant in Harlan and also as a nurses aid in the old Harlan Hospital. On October 18, 1946, Ruth was united in marriage to Martin Dinesen at Merrill’s Grove Baptist Church just outside of Fiscus. Four daughters were born unto this union: Ramona, Annette, Cheryl and Melissa. After their marriage, Martin and Ruth made their home on the family farm, Evergreen Corner three miles north of Harlan.
Ruth loved tending to the garden, sewing, cooking as well as baking and delivering homemade cinnamon rolls to her family, friends, neighbors and even a few businesses. She also loved raising her daughters on the farm and taking family vacations. She was very independent and adventurous, she enjoyed going on trips in her motor home. Ruth at a young age also learned to crochet from her sister Lucille which she continued to do for many years.
After the death of Martin, Ruth was united in marriage to Charles Swanson on June 22, 1986 and after his death was united in marriage to Ares Dinesen on December 21, 1997. This union welcomed a step-daughter for Ruth, Deb Dinesen.
Ruth and Martin were founding and longtime members of the Shelby County Historical Society and a longtime and faithful members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Harlan. Ruth also loved writing and was a member of the Writer’s Bloc group of Shelby as well as the Merry Homemakers, American Business Women and the Knitters Club of Harlan. Ruth also took much pride in her years of selling monuments for the Harlan Monument Works and Shelby County Monuments. Ruth was a talented organist and played at countless church services, weddings and funerals for over fifty years.
Ruth recently became a resident of the Hansen House Home Health Care Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa and this is where she died on December 19, 2016 having attained the age of ninety-three years, four months and twenty-six days. In addition to her parents and husbands, Ruth was preceded in death by her brothers Merle and Lloyd Nelson; sister Grace Paulson and her grandson, Trevor Dinesen.
She is survived by her daughters: Ramona and her husband Jim Parker of Skowhegan, Maine; Annette Beierle of Glendale, Arizona; Cheryl and her husband Andy Martinez of Colton, California and Melissa Dinesen and her husband Joe Melicher of Harlan; 5 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; step-daughter Debra Dinesen Moore of Grand Junction, Colorado; siblings Lucille Paulsen of Harlan and Everett Nelson of Audubon, Iowa; nieces and nephews; other relatives and many many friends.
Ruth worked at a local dentist as his assistant in Harlan and also as a nurses aid in the old Harlan Hospital. On October 18, 1946, Ruth was united in marriage to Martin Dinesen at Merrill’s Grove Baptist Church just outside of Fiscus. Four daughters were born unto this union: Ramona, Annette, Cheryl and Melissa. After their marriage, Martin and Ruth made their home on the family farm, Evergreen Corner three miles north of Harlan.
Ruth loved tending to the garden, sewing, cooking as well as baking and delivering homemade cinnamon rolls to her family, friends, neighbors and even a few businesses. She also loved raising her daughters on the farm and taking family vacations. She was very independent and adventurous, she enjoyed going on trips in her motor home. Ruth at a young age also learned to crochet from her sister Lucille which she continued to do for many years.
After the death of Martin, Ruth was united in marriage to Charles Swanson on June 22, 1986 and after his death was united in marriage to Ares Dinesen on December 21, 1997. This union welcomed a step-daughter for Ruth, Deb Dinesen.
Ruth and Martin were founding and longtime members of the Shelby County Historical Society and a longtime and faithful members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Harlan. Ruth also loved writing and was a member of the Writer’s Bloc group of Shelby as well as the Merry Homemakers, American Business Women and the Knitters Club of Harlan. Ruth also took much pride in her years of selling monuments for the Harlan Monument Works and Shelby County Monuments. Ruth was a talented organist and played at countless church services, weddings and funerals for over fifty years.
Ruth recently became a resident of the Hansen House Home Health Care Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa and this is where she died on December 19, 2016 having attained the age of ninety-three years, four months and twenty-six days. In addition to her parents and husbands, Ruth was preceded in death by her brothers Merle and Lloyd Nelson; sister Grace Paulson and her grandson, Trevor Dinesen.
She is survived by her daughters: Ramona and her husband Jim Parker of Skowhegan, Maine; Annette Beierle of Glendale, Arizona; Cheryl and her husband Andy Martinez of Colton, California and Melissa Dinesen and her husband Joe Melicher of Harlan; 5 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; step-daughter Debra Dinesen Moore of Grand Junction, Colorado; siblings Lucille Paulsen of Harlan and Everett Nelson of Audubon, Iowa; nieces and nephews; other relatives and many many friends.
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