RUBY D.E. LARSEN, 80

Ruby D.E. Larsen, 80, of Fremont died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, at the Fremont Area Medical Center.

The funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at First Lutheran Church in Fremont. The interment will be in Fremont’s Memorial Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont, with the family receiving friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Visitation will also be at the church Thursday morning for an hour before the funeral.

Ruby Doris Eileen Freund was born Dec. 23, 1928, in Westby, Mont., to John and Christine (Skeem) Freund. She grew up in Westby and graduated from high school there. She attended college in Havre, Mont., receiving her teaching certificate, then taught in rural schools. Before her marriage, she lived and worked in Portland, Oregon.

On April 2, 1951, she married Leslie R. Larsen in Westby, who at the time was serving in the United States Army. After his military service was completed in 1952, the couple moved to Fremont. Mrs. Larsen was a partner with her husband in their construction business. She was also a homemaker, raising their three daughters.

She had been very active in First Lutheran Church and its various ministries. She and her husband were part of the Mexico Mission Builders. From 1979 to 1996, they traveled as volunteers with the church, helping build churches and working in church camps. They volunteered at Mt. Carmel, a church camp in Minnesota, as hosts and caretakers. They also traveled as sponsors with the church youth groups on their summer trips. Mrs. Larsen was one of the originators of First Lutheran’s Solos group. She had been an officer in the Central District of the Omaha Chapter of the former ALC Church Women. She was also a member of the Danish Brotherhood in America Lodge No. 206 of Blair. She was an avid football fan, particularly a Cornhusker football fan.

She is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Lana Larsen Hunke of Fremont, Kathy and Dave Jaspersen of Onieda, Ky., and Judi and Laurids Pedersen of Blair; seven grandchildren; sister and brother-in-law, Jeanette and Harold Hanen of Fremont; brother and sister-in-law, the Rev. Norman and Esther Freund of Fremont; aunt, Liola Freund of Fremont; sister-in-law, Helen Freund of Sun City, Ariz.; and nieces, nephews and special friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, “Les,” in October of 1999; a brother, Palmer Freund; and a sister and brother-in-law, Myrtle and Roy Andersen.

Memorials are suggested to the First Lutheran Church Building Fund.