Ruth Agnes Sherwood

Ruth Agnes Sherwood, age 85, of Willmar, passed away Tuesday Morning, October 8, at Bethesda Grand Nursing Home.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 15, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Willmar.  Interment will be at Oak Park Methodist Cemetery near Kandiyohi.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, October 14, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church.  Arrangements are entrusted to the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home. www.petersonbrothers.com

Ruth was born on May 9, 1939, in Bird Island, Minnesota, the daughter of Andrew and Velma (Wittman) Swanson. She grew up in Willmar and graduated from Willmar High School in 1957. On June 8, 1957, Ruth was united in marriage to Gary Oliver Sherwood and they lived in Mankato. Ruth worked at the St. Peter State Hospital as a Mental Health Technician. In 1972, they moved to Willmar and began working at the Willmar State Hospital. She brought and taught new behavioral modifications to the developmentally disabled adults. She retired in 2007 after working several years as a chemical dependency program assistant.

Ruth enjoyed baking goodies, sewing and quilting. She made quilts for each of her grandchildren as their graduation gift. Ruth and Gary raised and bred Shar-Pei and English Bulldogs. They showed them throughout the central United States. They also enjoyed being foster parents for many years. Ruth enjoyed spending time with family at the cabin on Diamond Lake, having morning coffee while listening to the radio and cheering on the Minnesota Twins.

She is survived by her six children, Donald (and Laurie) Sherwood of Willmar, Dan (and Terri) Sherwood of Tempe, AZ., Doyen (and Allen) Hillenbrand of Willmar, Douglas Sherwood of Litchfield, Deena (and Warren) Ostendorf of Waite Park and David Sherwood (and Stacie Jacobs) of St. Cloud; sixteen grandchildren; twenty great grandchildren and one great great grandson. Also surviving is one brother, Andrew (and Connie) Swanson of New London, besides other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Gary in 2007; one granddaughter, Ella Paula; and one brother, Jim.