Ruth Marian (Olson) Kleven

Ruth Kleven, of Milan, died on Sunday, July 16, 2006 at the Johnson Memorial Home in Dawson, MN at the age of 94.

Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday,  July 20, 2006 at 10:30 AM at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan, MN with Rev. Tom Opoien officiating. Interment will be in the Kviteseid Lutheran Milan Methodist Cemetery.  Visitation will be Wednesday afternoon and evening and with the family from 5 -7 PM and with a prayer service at 7 PM, all at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo.

Ruth Marian (Olson) Kleven was born on July 31, 1911 near Milan, MN to James and Hannah (Volden) Olson.  She was baptized and confirmed at Kviteseid Lutheran Church and attended rural schools.  She graduated from Milan High School in 1929, where she played basketball and was a member of the 1927 undefeated girls basketball team. During a snowstorm on February 13, 1936, she was united in marriage to Hjalmer Kleven at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan.  They lived and raised their family on the Kleven family farm 2 miles south of Milan.  Ruth lived her entire lifetime in the Milan area and has been a resident of the Johnson Memorial Home in Dawson for the past several years.  She was a member of the Milan Methodist Church for many years, where she was active in Women’s Society, Official Board and taught Sunday School.  She later became a member of Kviteseid Lutheran Church.  She was a homemaker and worked for a time at the Montevideo Hospital as a nursing assistant.  She lived for and enjoyed her family, the farm, quilting and her quilting friends.  She made the best doughnuts, and enjoyed sharing them with family and friends.

She is survived by one daughter, Audrey Loehr and her husband Jim of Willmar, MN; three sons: George Kleven and his wife Janet and Jim Kleven and his wife Judy, both of Milan and Don Kleven and his wife Deb of Fergus Falls, MN; 14 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Hjalmer in 1969; four sisters: Jorgina Landvik, Clara Lea, Annie Thorsen and Ella Gandel; five brothers: Alvin, Ole and Henry Olson and two brothers in infancy; and several nieces and nephews.