Ruth Lucille Hamre

Ruth (Mrs. Melvin) L. Hamre, age 91 a longtime Clark resident died this morning, Sunday, August 27, 2006 in a Clark care center after a brief illness. Funeral services will be Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 2PM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. Burial will follow in the Pleasant Lutheran Cemetery near Vienna. Music will be presented by Dorothy Fuller as organist with the congregation singing "Amazing Grace", "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" and the St. Paul Choir singing "When Peace Like a River". Honorary casketbearers will be all family and friends. The active casketbearers are Lloyd Brekke, Julian, Mike and Alan Hamre, Tom La Brie and John V. Hamre. She was born on July 15, 1915 at Forest City, IA, the daughter of The Reverend Victor and Hattie (Miller) Larson. She attended grade school in Valley City, ND and the graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. She attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and also Augustana College in Sioux Falls. Following her schooling she taught music and grade school in Eureka and Willow Lake, SD where she also met her future husband, Melvin Hamre. They were married at Ft. Warren, WY on May 14, 1943 while he was stationed in the service. They had 2 children while living at Ft. Warren, both died in infancy. Following the war, they returned to Willow Lake and then in 1962 they moved to Clark where Mel took a position with Citizens State Bank, now Dacotah Bank. Ruth taught piano lessons to many children over the years, touching numerous lives. While giving lessons, she was also known to encourage many others areas of the students lives, whether it be voice or other life journeys. She will long be remembered for being a community activist ' involving herself in many projects over the years including Clark becoming a Tree City, USA. Ruth was a member of the Clark Rotary Club where she earned the status of Paul Harris Fellow and she also had received the Lion Club International, Esteemed Member of the Foundation Honor Roll. In 1974 she was a nominee for the State Mother of the Year award in South Dakota and had received the Certificate of Appreciation from KELO-TV for 'Outstanding Public Service'. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Clark County Historical Society. She was a longtime member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, the St. Paul Choir and also served as choir director for many years. Preceding her in death were her parents, two daughters in infancy, Marie Annette and Kathryn Ann, a brother, Edward Larson and two sisters, Marjorie Blount and Dorothy Bowman and husband Jim. Grateful for having shared her life is her husband of over 63 years, Melvin Hamre of Clark, children, Victor Hamre and wife Mary Jo of Anamosa, IA , John Hamre and wife Julie of Washington, DC, Anna Hamre of Auberry, CA and Susan Addison and husband Jerry of Tujunga, CA; two grandchildren, Mary Ann Hamre of San Diego, CA and John Hamre and wife Katie of Ames, IA, a brother-in-law, Norman Blount of Florida and a sister-in-law, Lorraine Larson of Rochester, MN. Services are announced by the Furness Funeral Home of Clark where you can email a condolence to www.furnessfuneralhome.com