Mary (Giesbrecht) Ruten

The service was livestreamed by Spalding Crossroads Bible Church. To view the livestream, please click the link:
Mary Ruten Funeral

Mary (Giesbrecht) Ruten was born on December 31, 1930, in New Bothwell, Manitoba to Frank and Aganetha Giesbrecht, the sixth of eight children. She loved school and never wanted to miss a day! When Mary was 12 years old, she made the most important decision of her life – to receive Jesus as her personal Saviour.  She memorized 500 Bible verses in order to receive a free week at Bible Camp. After her schooling in New Bothwell, Mary attended what is now called Millar College of the Bible at Pambrun, Saskatchewan. There she enjoyed her studies, met new lifelong friends, sang in a trio, and worked at
Bible camps. This is also where she met her future husband, Palmer.      

After Bible School, Mary moved out to Vancouver to work and attend college. It was there that she learned of Palmer’s feelings for her. Letters from Spalding to Vancouver and back occurred weekly for a whole Winter and finally in the Spring, Palmer made the trip out to visit her. On their first date, he proposed and she excitedly said yes. They were married on November 7, 1953, in Spalding. Palmer began his teaching career two weeks later near Yellow Creek, then Fort a la Corne, on to Arpsville near Tisdale, and finally to Spalding, where he taught for 16 years. Together, they built a house on the Ruten farm where they raised their four children, Larry, Lois, Janice, and Michele.      

Mary loved being a wife and mother. She poured so much love into everything she did, whether it was cooking and baking for the family, sewing quilts and clothes, or growing a vegetable garden. She was an amazing storyteller and teacher, and her children benefited daily from Bible stories and Scripture memorization. Her hospitality knew no limits. Her home was always a welcome place for people who needed a place to stay, or just a meal and a visit. Mary taught Sunday School and Kid’s Club until she was 80 years old! She loved passing along her love for her Lord with others, especially children. Many, many people still lovingly call her ‘Auntie Mary’.

She faithfully prayed for healthy marriages for her children: Larry & Glenna Ruten, Lois & Herb Jansen, Janice & Kevin Evans, and Michele & Dwight Koop. Her delight was to have her 14 grandchildren visit and sleep over. Doughnuts, cheese buns, perogies, crafts, puppet stories, and toboggan slides were always on the menu. Later, she welcomed 48 great-grandchildren that she added to her list to pray for daily by name.           

Mary and Palmer enjoyed almost 68 years of marriage – 56 years on the farm, and then a few years in Spalding. When it was necessary for Palmer to move to long-term care in Middle Lake, Mary followed and lived in assisted living so she could visit him every day. After he passed, she remained there, but longed to join him in Heaven. After a brief stay in the hospital, she too quietly slipped into the arms of Jesus with her family at her side.

Thank you for the great legacy you left and a life well lived.

A Funeral Service for Mary was held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 2:30 pm from Crossroads Bible Church, Spalding, officiated by Pastor Matt Willems.   Memorial donations in memory of Mary can be directed to Crossroads Bible Church: Camp Coupon Fund (cheques payable to Crossroads Bible Church, in memo include Camp Coupon Fund, Box 44, Spalding, SK, S0K 4C0) or Millar College of the Bible (Box 25, Pambrun, SK, S0N 1W0).