Ruth Marcella (Streich) Torfin was born on October 11, 1924 to Hulda (Schuhmacher) and Frank Streich at their home in Villard, MN.  She was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Villard and also attended all twelve years at the Villard School, graduating in 1942.  She then attended and graduated from the Minneapolis School of Business. With World War II in full progression and her fiancé in the Navy in the Pacific, she headed to San Diego, CA where she worked as a "Rosie the Riveter" for Consolidated Aircraft, manufacturing airplanes for WWII.   On August 29, 1944 Ruth married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Russell Torfin.  After Russ's honorable discharged in 1945, Ruth encouraged him to take advantage of the GI bill and attend St. Cloud College to become a teacher.   They made their home there in the quonset huts for married students near campus for the next 3 years.  With teaching degree in hand they moved to Paynesville, MN and then to Cyrus, MN for teaching positions. From 1953 to early 1958 the family resided in Glenwood where they owned and operated a wholesale meat business for Schweigert.   In the fall of 1957, they jumped at the chance to purchase Gordon's Resort on Lake Amelia from Charlie Gordon which allowed them to return to the Villard area where they had spent their growing-up years.  She ran the resort almost single handedly!!   In 1974, Russ retired as teacher/principal at the Villard School and they sold the resort, moving to their present home a short distance down the road from the resort.  Beginning that winter, and lasting the next 30 winters, Ruth and Russ traveled to their second home in Mission, Texas where they enjoyed more golfing, dancing, the beautiful beaches,  a lot of sunshine, and many, many new friends.  They each kept busy with seasonal jobs while in Texas and in the summers back in Minnesota, Ruth worked part-time at the A&W for many years where she loved working with many teen-agers in the area who she said "kept her in touch" and she shared her energy and work ethic!

Ruth was a longtime member of the Glenwood Lutheran Church-- active in her circle, teaching Sunday School and vacation bible school for many years. Always active in the communities in which she lived, she was a member of the Mrs. Jaycees, VFW Auxiliary, Girl Scout leader, PTA, and was a 60 year member of the Eastern Star. Ruth enjoyed sewing (many times designing her own patterns), knitting, crocheting, oil painting (she was especially proud that her artwork was chosen for the Villard Centennial commemorative plate in 1983), upholstering, cooking, and baking.   She loved volunteering, playing whist and bridge, swimming, bowling, golfing, and riding her bike....she reluctantly started wearing a bike helmet when her children and grandchildren gave her one for her 80th birthday!! Ruth loved music from the Big Band era.  She and Russ were dancing partners for more than 66 years and enjoyed being members of the Lakeside Dance Club.  But despite all her activities she ALWAYS made sure she had plenty of time and energy for her husband and family---her most favorite way to spend her time.  She showered them all with gifts of homemade afghans, baptismal shawls, stocking caps and mittens, special oil paintings for each, crocheted family name plaques, lefse for every holiday, and unending freshly homemade donuts and sugar cookies!  Ruth passed away July 22, 2015 at the Glenwood Retirement Village in Glenwood.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Nancy and Ron Reichmann of Villard; son, Grant Torfin of Alexandria;  7 grandchildren: Jon and Tara (Walsh) Reichmann, Villard, Matthew Reichmann, Villard, Aaron and Christine (Dinsmore) Torfin, Dalton, MN, Ted and Dacia (Ekstrand) Reichmann, Villard,  Adam and Suzanne (Belford) Torfin, Park City, Utah, Katie (Reichmann) and Ben Starns, Baxter, MN, and Andrew and Jessie (Lancaster) Torfin, Grand Junction, Colorado; 13 Great-grandchildren (soon to be 14):  Madelynn, Maxwell, and Myles Reichmann, Mikayla, Ashton, Louden, and Laney Torfin, Greta and Tate Reichmann,  Cora and Jude Starns,  Arlo Torfin and newborn, James Torfin; her brother, George Streich of Houlton, Wisconsin; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and many, many friends.

Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, Russ in 2010; daughter-in-law, Patty (Boerboom) Torfin; sister, Eva Poppe; her parents; parents-in-law, Cora and Ed Torfin; and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

Visitation will be on Friday, August 28th from 4:30 to 7 with an Eastern Star service at 7 pm at the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood, MN. A memorial service to praise God for Ruth's life will be held at the Glenwood Lutheran Church at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 29th......the day that would have been Ruth and Russ's 71st wedding anniversary.