Ruth O'Brien

Ruth Elaine O’Brien, (née Noland) age 87,  Albert Lea, passed peacefully surrounded by family November 15, 2017.  She was born to the Reverend Garold Bartley Noland and his wife Lura  Summerson Noland on January 19, 1930, in a farmhouse in Lincoln Township, Dallas County, Iowa.  She was married to Alphonsus P. (Frank) O’Brien on February 5, 1949 in Des Moines, Iowa.  In 1963, the family moved to Albert Lea, Minnesota to raise their twelve children. After surviving Stage IV breast cancer in the late 1970’s, Ruth returned to school to get her nursing license and begin her career as a nurse at Naeve Hospital. She worked there until her retirement in 1995.  In her retirement, she spent countless hours volunteering in the hospital gift shop, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, Pine Ridge Reservation mission trips, taking communion to the nursing homes, singing in the choir, and being the best mother, grandmother, and great grand mother. In recent years, she survived multiple myeloma and a previous femur fracture.

Ruth is survived by her sisters, Lurene Noland and Joyce Hoffman, her children: Brendan O’Brien, his children Christine Salisbury (Fred) and their daughter, Linnea; Amy O’Brien and Michael (Corrine); Kerry O’Brien and her daughter, Alex; Maureen Frydenlund (John) and their children Angie Bolin and her children Alycia and Boston, Tony Frydenlund (Christian) and their son Aksel ; Brian’s children Joe O’Brien (Jaime) and their daughters Reagan and Riley, Heather (Garrett) and children, Rachel, Brooke, Harper, and Ben. Ryan O’Brien (Jessica) and their daughter Orla; Paddy O’Brien (David) and their daughters Sarah Baldwin and Samantha Williams (Kyle); Laura Kim Forman (Joe) and their daughters Erica and Kelsey Forman; son-in-law, Mike Wetzel, and his and Kristy’s children Alex, Katie, and Francesca; Mary Grundhoefer and son, Jackson Faith and his fiancé Amie; Angela Greywitt (Rick) and their sons Rick (Amy), children Madison and Carter;  Michael (Beth),  their son  Jude; Sean (Ashley) and their children, Logan, and Corinne; Charlie and his fiancé  Mariah; Allison Fauchier (Martin); and Shane O’Brien (Amy) and their children Erin, Sam, and Shea.

She was preceded in death by her husband Frank; her parents; brother Gary, sons Brian and Kevin O’Brien; daughter, Kristy O’Brien-Wetzel; and sons-in-law, Charles Faith and Peter Grundhoefer.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 17, 2017 at Bonnerup Funeral Home from 5-7 P.M.  A funeral mass will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2017, at 10 A.M., with one-hour visitation prior to the service.  Lunch will follow at Marian Hall.  Interment will be after the lunch at St. Theodore’s Catholic Cemetery.

Memorials to the family or to the donor’s choice.