The funeral service for Ruth Ethel (Ablin) Wood of Aberdeen, S.D. will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, under the direction of Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, with Pastor Matt Spoden officiating. Ruth passed away peacefully at Bethesda Place on Thursday, August 27, 2026, a couple hours before her 85th birthday.

Ruth Ethel (Ablin) Wood was born in Aberdeen, on August 28, 1941, to Louis and Gena (Kilen) Ablin. She joined three older brothers Henry, Ted and Ralph.

Ruth attended Garfield School in Aberdeen for a few years before the family moved back to the family farm near Scatterwood Lake, Mansfield, S.D. She finished school at Cresbard High School graduating as the class valedictorian in 1959.

She attended Augustana College, earning bachelor’s degrees in German and English education with a minor in elementary education.

Ruth married Delano Wood at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on June 9, 1963. Three children were born to this union — Wendy in 1966, Cindy in 1967, and Steven in 1970.

They built their lifetime home on the farm that Del was already establishing as Woodcrest Farms a few miles east of Cresbard. The couple farmed and raised registered Polled Hereford cattle, spending a lot of time showing and marketing their cattle as a family, including trips to many junior shows across the Midwest.

In short stints, Ruth taught at Cresbard High School, Faulkton High School and Blumengard Hutterite Colony, but the farm always called her home. Needing a flexible schedule to be available for helping with the farm work and to make it to her kids’ activities, she spent a decade working for Research Triangle Institute and was an Aberdeen American News columnist for several years.

Ruth was the first woman to be elected to the Cresbard School Board and volunteered at many community and church events, including one of her favorites — the annual Lenten Luncheons.

She and Del enjoyed traveling to new places, exploring their ancestral roots and visiting locals in North America and around the world including Japan, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Germany, England, France, Mexico Argentina, Chile and the Netherlands.

As they slowed down and aged, they turned the farm over to son Steve and grandson Seth. Del passed away in 2019.

Ruth moved to Parkside Retirement Community in 2021 and thoroughly enjoyed making new friends and living closer to her church home.

This past March, she spent a short time at Bethesda before moving to Town Square Assisted Living. She moved back to Bethesda in July.

Ruth’s wishes were to be cremated and have her ashes spread on the pasture where the Pasque flowers bloom each spring and where her husband’s ashes have already been spread.

Survivors include three children, Wendy (Vaughn) Thorstenson, Cindy (Darwin) Aman, and Steven (Rene) Wood. Eleven grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren, Gina (Levi) Goetz, Ryker, Dallas, Nolan; Kendra (Greg) Fred, Emmett, August, Annie; Jana Thorstenson; Kara (Jake) Flakus, Henry, Hollyn, Lonni; Andrew (Lynae) Aman, Myla; Sam Aman, Hattie; Alex (Maria) Aman, Elsie; Zachary (Grace) Jessee, Walter; Hunter (Carly) Wood, Ruby, Hazel, Jett, Heston, Stella; Nicholas (Macy) Wood, Mason; Seth (Lauren) Wood, Ivy. One sister-in-law, Lois Ablin.

She was preceded by her parents, her husband of 55 years, three brothers, Henry Ablin, Ted (Joanne) Ablin, Ralph (Judy) Ablin, and one brother-in-law, Vernon Wood.