US Navy Nurse Corps Captain, Ruth E. Halverson, age 95, died Feb. 13, 2021 peacefully at The Mayflower in Winter Park, Fla. Graveside committal services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 at Lakeview Cemetery, Rib Lake with Rev. James Langebartels officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the Rib Lake American Legion military honors team. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake is assisting the family with local arrangements. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com. Ruth will be laid to rest beside her parents in Lakeview Cemetery, Rib Lake. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be made in her memory to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, 2727 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL 32839.
Ruth was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin and was a devout Lutheran, no matter where she traveled throughout the world.
Ruth earned her RN degree from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, Marshfield, in 1946 and her B.S. from Marquette University, Milwaukee in 1956. She joined the Navy Nurse Corps in 1951 and started her long and distinguished career including duty at several stateside naval hospitals, instructing at the Great Lakes Hospital Corps School, recruiting in Chicago, serving aboard the Vietnam War transport ship USNS General D. Patrick and in Kentra, Morocco. During the Vietnam War, as the Patrick sailed into combat zones, she often was the only woman aboard that ship which carried over four thousand service men. She fondly reminisced of the respect and special attention she received during her departure from the ship, particularly the great honor of having the Captain pour tea for her, as well as receiving a commissioned painting of the ship.
In 1974, she earned the rank of Captain and became the Director of Nursing for the then newly commissioned naval hospital in Pensacola, Fla. During her career she was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
When she retired from the service in 1977, she stayed on in Florida building her lakefront home, replicating as much as possible the lakes and memories of her childhood in Wisconsin. She also continued her close connections with her fellow retired Navy nurses. Her home was filled with the art she collected during her career and world travels. She enjoyed growing roses, hosting dinner parties and going out on the lake. Ruthie cherished her family connections and celebrated Christmas as one of her favorite times, from decorating to attending church services to sending out fruitcakes.
Ruth was a strong advocate for animals and continuously filled her home with cats and dogs. While she was always attached to a church, in her later years she became more involved with volunteering and enjoyed singing in The Mayflower choir, where she had been a resident for the past eight years.
Ruth poured herself into every endeavor she took on, keeping high standards for herself and setting an example for those around her to follow. Her belief that if you were going to do something, do it well also applied to her life-long enjoyment of cheering for the Green Bay Packers and U of W Badgers.
Ruth is survived by her nieces, Mary Millington and Ruth Ann
Halverson; nephews, John Halverson and Paul Halverson; and their respective
spouses; as well as several great-nieces and nephews; and their respective
spouses; and her feline friend, Miss Ellie.
She was preceded by her parents, Martha (Monske) and Otto
Halverson; as well as her brother and sister-in law, Carl and Irene Halverson;
sister and brother-in-law, Annabelle and Paul E. Millington; and niece,
Patricia Ann Millington.
