On October 16, 2024, Ruth passed away peacefully surrounded by her family following a brief illness.   A visitation will be held Saturday, October 26th at 11:00 am at Nasinec Funeral Home, 789 Business Park Drive, Wells, MN. It will be followed by a funeral service at noon with Pastor Vern Christopherson officiating and a meal to follow.

Ruth Ann Nielsen Heggen was born on January 20, 1939 in LeMars, Iowa. She was the seventh of nine children, the first to be born in a hospital.  Ruth grew up on farms in Iowa and Minnesota: Marcus, IA, Webb, IA and Grand Meadow, MN.  She graduated from Grand Meadow High School and Luther College in Decorah, IA.  For 29 years, Ruth was an elementary teacher in Adams, Olivia and Wells schools.  In her earlier life, she enjoyed ice skating, volleyball, tennis and Bible camp.  While a stay-at-home-mom, she volunteered in music, Sunday School and Bible School for her church.  She taught community classes in decoupage, quilling and rock painting.  Upon her retirement in 2001, she spent seven winters in Ft. Myers, FL, and one winter in Solvang, CA, a Danish village.  She also made two trips to Denmark, retracing the lives of her father, four grandparents and eight great-grandparents.  Other highlights were trips to Maui, HI, Holden Village in the state of Washington and attending family gatherings.  Ruth is proud of her three sons: Todd, Brad and Scot, who all grew up in Wells where they were good students and participated in sports, band and musicals. All three boys graduated from Luther College.  Ruth has seven grandsons and one granddaughter who are all very special in her eyes.  There’s just something special about a grandchild!

Left to cherish her memory are her three sons, Todd (Ellen) of Lakeville, MN, Brad (Beth) of Wells, MN and Scot (Jennifer) of Lakeville, MN, her eight grandchildren: Alex, Josh, Nick, Andrew, Emma, Jack, Ben and Matt. Also survived by siblings Evelyn (Harry) Landbo, Harry (Marilyn) Nielsen, Nancy Finbraaten, Esther Marshall, Martha (John) Coulter, John (Nancy) Nielsen plus too many amazing nieces and nephews to list!  Ruth is preceded in death by her parents John and Rose Nielsen, sisters Jean Urbanek and Eleanor Riedemann, brothers-in-law Lloyd, Dutch, Glenn, Larry, Hugh, Doug, niece Jan Urbanek and nephew Dirk Riedemann.

In lieu of gifts or flowers, the family requests donations in Ruth’s name to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lutheran World Relief, the Wells Area Food Shelf, or charity of donor’s choice.