Ruth Ann Lundholm Gartrell

Ruth Ann Lundholm was born on August 13th, 1923 to Carl and Zoe Lundholm. Her father was a Baptist minister in Cherokee, Iowa and they traveled to the Baptist hospital in St. Paul, MN for her birth. Because of her father’s ministry, the family moved often. Their first move was to Huntington, WV when she was two and through the years they also lived in Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraska where her father pastored multiple churches. Ruth Ann had 2 younger sisters and also a brother who died as a baby. When she was in 8th grade her family moved to Longmont, CO and she graduated from high school there in 1941.

Ruth Ann’s first job was as a long-distance operator for Mountain States Telephone Company in Denver. She met her husband, Percy Gartrell, at Judson Baptist Church soon after Pearl Harbor was attacked. He enlisted in the Navy and after boot camp they were married in 1943. Percy was then stationed at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. There was no maternity ward there so their first son, Dick, was born in Washington, D.C. Because of his medical training Percy was transferred to the Marines and had to go through boot camp again. He was then sent to the Pacific Theater and didn’t return until after WWII ended in 1945. This left Ruth Ann with an infant son to raise on her own for two years. During this time she moved to Carson City, NV for 6 months to work in a children’s home with her sister.

Upon returning to Denver after the war, Percy worked as a traveling salesman for Davis Brothers, a wholesale pharmaceutical company, changing territories often. That moved them to Pueblo where their second son, Bob, was born in 1946. A third son, Bill, was born in Sterling in 1948. They spent 13 months in Greeley, and then moved back to Denver where last child and only daughter, Zoe, was born in 1955. After a lifetime of moving, Denver finally became her permanent home.

For over 75 years, Ruth Ann’s life was one of raising a family, caregiving for her in-laws, volunteering, organizing people, and leading and speaking for many Christian ministries. She was a loyal friend to countless people her entire life. In her 40s and 50s she was active with Vacation Bible School, Pioneer Girls, and Christian Women’s Club. After Percy’s retirement in 1979 she worked part-time in the kitchen at a German Restaurant, was a cashier at Joy Pharmacy, and served meals at Courtyard Senior Living where she herself would end up living in her 80s. In her 60s she was a teaching leader for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers. Along with many other church activities throughout the years, including numerous Bible Studies, she kept busy.

After Percy’s death in 1990 and the birth of the last of 10 grandchildren, Ruth Ann spent the next decade caring for the next generation through babysitting and paid nanny work for many busy parents in the Denver area. Her love of games and babies combined two of her favorite things. She was also an elder nanny, with one client who lived to 103.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, she and her youngest sister took a bucket list trip to Sweden to visit their ancestors' birthplace and meet Swedish cousins. Only 1 cousin spoke English but the oldest matriarch had the same grandparents’ family picture hanging on their wall that Ruth Ann had on her wall in America.

Combining her love of travel, nanny experience, and a lifetime calling to be a missionary, at age 72 she went to Papua New Guinea for six weeks to nanny for a missionary family translating the New Testament. She felt called to go back and in 1995, raising her own support, she stayed for 6 months helping 15 families with 26 kids. She celebrated her 75th birthday in PNG at a New Testament dedication in a Nationals’ village.

Her 80s found her volunteering at Mercy Ministries, Alternatives Pregnancy Center, Caring Hands, and organizing Wycliffe’s Denver Chapter. Always the social organizer, at age 85 she led 3 other octogenarian friends through an Alaskan cruise keeping them all on schedule and headed in the right direction.

Still going in her 90s, while living at Courtyard she organized the resident ambassadors who greeted visitors. At 92 she created a widow’s group called Next Chapter that is still meeting today. Her social skills kept her going after moving to Brookdale Assisted Living teaching her fellow residents to play new games and to crochet. Her various other friends visited frequently just to play games and socialize with Ruth Ann. An avid reader her whole life, talking books became her passion when her eyesight failed.

She loved to travel, going many places with various family, but her favorite place to vacation was Creede, CO. She spent the next 45 years, before the altitude made breathing too difficult, taking annual trips to stay at Soward Ranch, hike at Ivy Creek, frequent the Creede Repertory Theatre, and watch the multitude of hummingbirds. Ruth Ann became the definition of perseverance surviving countless surgeries, 3 cancer reoccurrences, 3 serious falls, Covid lockdowns, and even Covid itself twice.

She loved her church, scripture, and hymns. Less than 18 hours before she drew her last breath, she was still singing favorite hymns with a friend and knew all the words. Her favorite bible verse is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She says, “I want to be remembered as loving the Lord, dependent on Him in all things, and in service for Him. So thankful for all He’s done in and for me.”

Ruth Ann went to be with her Lord and Savior on October 28th, 2025 at the age of 102. Ruth Ann was preceded in death by her husband, 2 sons, 2 sisters, and 1 brother. She is survived by son Bill and wife Debbie, daughter Zoe and husband Dave (Myers), daughter-in-law Linda, 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.