Ruth Starner

Ruth M. Starner, 88, of Hoffman, died Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, at the Good Samaritan Society-Hoffman. Funeral: 11:00 am Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, Messiah Lutheran Church, Hoffman Clergy: Rev. Nathan Thompson Cemetery: Union Cemetery, Elbow Lake Visitation: 5-7 Thursday, 7pm prayer service; one hour prior to service at church Ruth Maxine Starner was born in Elbow Lake, Minnesota, on October 21, 1923, to Arne and Lena (Ostenson) Ness. She attended grade school in Elbow Lake, and then with her mother, moved to St. James, where she attended high school, graduating in 1941. After graduating from high school, she attended college in Superior, Wisconsin. Ruth was a teacher in the Hoffman school system when she met Bob Starner, a school bus driver. They were married December 26, 1945, and together they purchased a farm four miles southwest of Hoffman. In 1948, with two sons already born, she was stricken with polio and spent six months at the Sister Kenny Institute in Minneapolis. After her recovery, she had four more sons and a daughter. This large farm family kept her busy with cooking, cleaning and laundry. However, she always had time for a garden, flowers and helping with school home work. Saturday cooking always included homemade bread and buns and Sunday dinner was a regular with chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. She started a journal when she was first married and actively wrote in it for almost 60 years. It is a treasure left behind for her children. Ruth loved flowers and always had a flower garden on the farm and later when they moved to town. One of her enjoyments in the past few years was the weekly stop at the Dew Drop Inn on Friday afternoons for pie and coffee. A few years ago, she and Bob were voted the Grant County Senior Citizens of the year. Ruth is survived by sons: Dennis and Joanna Starner of Madison Lake, MN, Bob and LuAnn Starner of Hortonville, WI; David and Cheryl Starner of Hoffman, MN; John and Debra Starner of Hoffman, MN; Mark and Cindy Starner of Hoffman, MN; and daughter Marjorie Starner of Woodbury, MN; nine grandchildren: Lisa, Rachel, Dave Jr., Andy, Joshua, Nicole, Michael, Jennifer, and Bryan and seven great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arne and Olena Ness; her husband, Robert; three brothers, five sisters, and a half-sister; one son, Gerald Starner; one grandson, Will Starner and one granddaughter, Leslie Starner.

Funeral Home: Erickson-Smith Funeral Home - Hoffman 103 7th Street North Hoffman, MN US 56339

---

Previous Events

Visitation
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Service
Friday, February 17, 2012
cemetery
Friday, February 17, 2012