Ruth Turner (nee Forbes), age 95 of Hudson, WI, passed away on March 28, 2019 at the Gables of Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights, MN. Ruth was born on February 15, 1924 in Crandon, WI to parents, Herbert and Mabel (Kuss) Forbes. Ruth is survived by her sister, Marian Woodard, her children, John Jr. (Barbara), Andrew (Joan), Sue, Nan (James) MacDonald, and Lucy (John) Skalbeck; 11 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; along with other beloved family and dear friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, John, her parents, and her brother-in-law, Bill Woodard.

Ruth’s lifelong spirit of adventure was rooted in her childhood in Rice Lake, WI, where she enjoyed reading, sports, and outdoor activities. She graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1941, and attended Macalester College and the University of Minnesota, earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Ruth and John met at Macalester, and they married on July 16, 1946, in Rice Lake. The family settled in the quaint town of Hudson, where John started his dental practice, and Ruth was a busy homemaker and caring mother to five children, providing them with opportunities and adventures of their own. Ruth volunteered in the schools, at church, at the convalescent home, and at Willow River State Park. Ruth spent time enjoying the simple things in life, such as reading, feeding the birds, and enjoying nature. She was ahead of her time with women’s health and physical fitness, and she loved biking, hiking in Colorado, skiing, aqua aerobics, and going for walks. Ruth was a role model for valuing education, the environment, and other issues that were important to her, including tutoring adults in English as a Second Language, starting the preschool story hour at the Hudson Public Library, and recycling. The Hudson community was special to the family, and they developed lifelong, treasured friendships there.

A memorial service to celebrate Ruth’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28th, at the First Presbyterian Church, 1901 Vine St., Hudson. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment at Willow River Cemetery in Hudson. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to the Hudson Area Library Foundation, First Presbyterian Church, or P.E.O. Wisconsin State Chapter H.E.L.P. Fund.