Ruth Elvina Homstad, 98, of Hallock, Minnesota passed away at Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center in Hallock on Saturday, September 8th, 2012. Ruth Elvina Johnson was born October 24, 1913 in North Red River Township of Kittson County the fourth daughter of Elof and Augusta (Nilsson) Johnson. Ruth grew up on her parent's farm west of Hallock and spent a large part of her youth exploring with her brothers and sisters, picking and eating fruit in the woods and picking wild flowers for the family table. She retained this love of flowers and the outdoors throughout her life. Ruth was baptized and confirmed in the former Tabitha Lutheran Church in rural Hallock, attended the Rural School District 61 school (also called the Fryckholm school), and attended Hallock High School. Ruth worked at the Great Northern Cafe in Crookston as a waitress, an aide in the Salem Lutheran Home in Oakland, California and a nursing assistant at the Hallock Nursing Home. On November 14, 1940, Ruth was married to Freddie Homstad on her family's farm. She and Freddie were members of Two River Lutheran Church east of Hallock and transferred to Grace Lutheran Church in Hallock when the Two River congregation disbanded in 1971. For thirty-eight years Freddie and Ruth farmed in Thompson Township. They moved to Hallock in 1979 and Freddie passed away in May of 1991. She is survived by two sons, Daniel (Shari) Homstad, Menomonie, WI and Craig Homstad, Maple Grove, MN; a daughter, Valerie Hanson, Elk River, MN; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; three brothers, Hjalmer, Stanley and Gordon; three sisters, Evelyn Johnson, Eleanor Gillie and Florence Peterson; a son, Bryce; a daughter, Marilyn and a grandson, Christopher Homstad. Funeral services are for Sunday, September 16th, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. in Grace Lutheran Church, Hallock. Visitation for one hour before. Interment will be in the Two River Cemetery, rural Hallock. Rev. Frank Johnson, presiding; Rene Wahl, organist and Karen Vold, soloist. Casket bearers will be Paul Clay, Paul Gillie, David Hanson, David Gillie, Neil Johnson and Lowell Johnson.