Ruthford B. (Rudy) Monson

FOREST CITY - Ruthford B. (Rudy) Monson, age 85, died Monday, November 22, 2010 at his home in rural Forest City.
Funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 27, 2010 at Winnebago Lutheran Church in rural Lake Mills with Pastor Bill Peters officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 PM on Friday, November 26, 2010 at Petersen Lund Funeral Home 505 N Clark St in Forest City and will continue an hour prior to service at the church.
Ruthford B. (Rudy) Monson was born on a farm in Mt Valley Township, near Forest City, Iowa on November 17, 1925, the son of Nick and Etta (Olson) Monson. He was baptized and confirmed at Winnebago Lutheran Church in rural Lake Mills. He received his elementary education in rural schools near his home and he graduated from Forest City High School in 1943.
He served in the US Marine Corps during WWII, entering the service on March 23, 1944 and fighting in the South Pacific with the Marine Corps "Scouts and Snipers". Following his discharge from the service he returned to the Forest City area. On December 28, 1947 he was united in marriage to Doris Myre at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa and the couple made their home on the family farm east of Forest City.
Rudy was a lover of life. After a lifetime of farming he enjoyed spending time attending parades, local threshing shows, buying, fixing up and collecting antique John Deere tractors and classic cars and watching old John Wayne movies. Rudy knew and would tell you about the genealogy of everyone in the county, even going back as far as 100 plus years! He loved driving around the countryside sharing stories and checking everyone's crops. Once you got in dad's car, you weren't sure just how long the ride would last.
Jane's Cafe in Fertile was a favorite gathering spot for dad and all his buddies as they daily kept one another abreast of all the local "happenings." Central to Rudy's life, was spending time with his family. He was never happier than when surrounded by all this immediate and extended family.
Rudy is survived by his children: Craig (Teresa) Monson of Forest City; Ardella (Dale) Johnson of Edina, MN; Murray (Donna) Monson of Boone, IA and Dr. Mark Monson of Mora, MN. Also surviving are 15 grandchildren: Brian & Shawn Monson; Colby, Cohen & Callen Monson; David, Vicki, Jeffrey, Brian, Bradley & Gregory Johnson; Dr. Nathan Monson & Lucas Monson and Elizabeth & Joshua Monson: 4 great-grandchildren; Logan Monson, Drew Monson, Lucas Renneke and Maia Johnson and a sister, Evelyn Budlong of Mason City.
Rudy was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Doris, son Norman, brother Merle Monson, sisters Ora Syckes, Margie Olson, Sally DeBaker and Gertie Smith and a nephew, Greg Syckes.