MARSHALL - First in Minnesota. Eleventh in the United States. Twenty-third in the world. Ruth Anderson of Marshall, who at 112 years old held the title of the oldest person in Minnesota, died at 4:05 a.m. Tuesday at Avera Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall.
She was born July 24, 1899, in Ellsborough Township in Murray County, one of a set of twins. Her brother, Abel, died when he was 13 months old.
"Ruth was the world's oldest surviving twin," said Bev Anderson, Ruth's daughter-in-law. "She was in the Guinness World Book of Records."
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Ruth Anderson died Tuesday morning at Avera Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall. At 112, she was the oldest person in Minnesota.
When Ruth Anderson was 106, she moved from Boulder Estates Assisted Living, (where she was the first person to move in to the new facility) to Avera Morningside Heights. She had another bedroom at Boulder just for her quilting, but gave that up when she moved to the nursing home.
"But she still did her Scripture reading and played Scrabble," said Bev Anderson.
Ruth Anderson played her final game last Thursday.
"Every Thursday morning a local woman, Murial Caldwell, came to play Scrabble," said Bev Anderson.
For Ruth's 110th birthday, Dave Kraft of Marshall wrote to Parker Brothers telling the company about Ruth's faithfulness as a Scrabble player.
Parker Brothers contacted Bev and asked what could it do for Ruth. Bev Anderson told the company that Ruth had worn out still another game, so the company sent her "a beautiful deluxe edition and a plaque saying she was in the expert Scrabble club."
At the age of 60, Ruth married her sister's widower, George Anderson, and helped raise his four sons, her nephews, in the Ruthton area.
Ruth was recently interviewed by WCCO-TV reporter Liz Collin. The interviews were aired Nov. 26 and Nov. 27.
Bev Anderson said that Ruth's health was "failing the last couple of days" so her death was not unexpected.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Sillerud Lutheran Church, rural Balaton