Ruth L. Welbig, 86, of Dell Rapids passed away on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center in Dell Rapids. Her Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018 in St. Mary Catholic Church. Visitation on Friday will be from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Kahler Funeral Home and will resume at St. Mary Catholic Church at 5:00 p.m. The family will be present from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. with the Christian Wake Service beginning at 7:00 p.m. followed by a family rosary.

Ruth Louise Nelson was born on April 5, 1931 at Trent, SD, the daughter of Homer and Verna (Johnson) Nelson. She grew up and attended school in Trent, graduating from Trent High School in 1949. She married LeRoy Welbig on October 5, 1949 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Dell Rapids. The couple made their home in Dell Rapids. Ruth stayed at home and raised the couples fourteen children. When the children were all school aged, she started working for Grandma’s Cafe, Dakota Industry, Terrace Manor, Sioux Valley Telephone Company, a mink ranch and then the Dell Rapids Elementary School until her retirement.

She enjoyed baseball and basketball. She attended many amateur baseball games and loved the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Timberwolves. She enjoyed gardening and flowers and loved to travel on bus tours to Canada, Nashville and Branson.

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, one sister and her son, Ken.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years, LeRoy of Dell Rapids; her 13 children, Linda Peyton of Dell Rapids, Denny (Janice) Welbig of Brookings, Diane (Dennis) Martinson of Dell Rapids, Tom (Pat) Welbig of Harrisburg, Ed (Bonnie) Welbig of Dell Rapids, Terry (Deb) Welbig of Dell Rapids, Calvin (Jane) Welbig of Sioux Falls, Nancy Anderson of Prosper, TX, Mary (Lane) Busser of Colton, Sheila Welbig (Verlyn Wiertzema) of Sioux Falls, Susan Bramley (Brit Smith) of Sioux Falls, Becky (Ray) Doughan of West Des Moines, IA and Jeff (Tracy) Welbig of Dell Rapids; her 37 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren her extended family and many friends.

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