Ruth Karla (Kastrup) Kenaley

Ruth Kenaley

LEMARS, Iowa — Ruth Karla (Kastrup) Kenaley, 93, died peacefully Feb. 2, 2023, at Accura HealthCare, Le Mars, surrounded by family.

Mass of Christian Burial was Feb. 11 at All Saints Catholic Parish - St. James Church, Le Mars. Father Douglas Klein celebrated Mass.

Burial followed in Calvary Cemetery, Le Mars, Iowa.

Visitation and a rosary were Feb. 10 at Rexwinkel Funeral Home, Le Mars. Visitation resumed until service time Saturday at the church.

Services will be uploaded to the funeral home website following services.

Arrangements were with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home, Le Mars.

Ruth was born March 7, 1929, at Beck’s Place, the family home near Dixon, to Edmund and Karen (Andersen) Kastrup. As was tradition, she was named for an older sister, Ruth Carla, who died before she was born. Ruth was baptized June 16, 1929, by Pastor A.N. Skanderup and confirmed April 18, 1943, by Pastor Knud Larsen in the Danish Lutheran Church in Laurel. She graduated from Laurel High School in 1947, and went on to receive a teaching certificate from Dana College, Blair. Ruth taught country school for two years at Goll School in the rural Blair area. She then made the journey to Sioux City, Iowa, where she began work in the office of Dr. Wagner, as nurse, secretary, lab person and transcriptionist. She met the love of her life, Bob, in 1950, when she lived across the hall from his sisters in an apartment building.

She married Robert Leo “Bob” Kenaley Feb. 15, 1958, at St. Jean Baptiste Catholic Church, Sioux City, Iowa, and converted to Catholicism. Bob and Ruth had three children, Daniel, Patrick and Margaret. They raised their family on the farm Bob grew up on and lived there until 2003, when they bought a home in Le Mars and moved to town. In February 2021, they moved to Park Place Assisted Living, Le Mars.

Ruth was a loving, caring person with an infectious smile. In her younger years, she was quite the poet, often memorializing special occasions for family and friends. She loved sending greeting cards, and later, when she got her first computer, making them herself. In fact, before they were married, a friend recommended a prenuptial agreement: Bob signed that he would always provide money for cards and stamps (and Ruth agreed to let Bob go fishing anytime). Christmas was her favorite time of year and the annual Christmas cookie baking was quite a production. She was a wonderful cook and had a huge collection of recipe books. Her Danish heritage was very special to her and she grew up speaking Danish with family and friends and continued to speak it through her lifetime. Her faith and family were the most important things. Genealogy was another hobby and she had many, many documents from her family and Bob’s family. She organized the first Kastrup Family Reunion and carried out the tradition for 74 years before passing the torch to her daughter. She never missed the annual Kastrup reunion and said it was the highlight of her year. Ruth was “The Voice” of the Plymouth County Fair for many years (she made all of the important announcements over the loudspeaker), working beside Bob who was a member of the fair board. After having lunch at her favorite restaurant, Hu Hot, she enjoyed pulling levers and pushing buttons on the slot machines at the casino and said the secret to her success was that she always shared her winnings with the church.

She is survived by her sweetheart, Bob; children, Dan (Dave Doyle) Kenaley, Albuquerque, N.M.; Pat (Judy) Kenaley, Milford, Iowa; and Maggie (Charlie) Fleming, Hartington; grandchildren, Josh (Jenn) Kenaley, Mt. Horeb, Wis.; Kate (Kevin) Sopha, and their children, Addyson and Delaney; Beau Fleming, Hartington; Chuck (Shauna Boseck) Fleming, Lincoln; Wes (Ashlee) Fleming, and their children, Blakelee and Daxton, Hartington; Todd (Monica) Sparks, and daughter, Lily, Salida, Colo.; and Traci (Tim) Sanow, Lake Park, Iowa; great-grandchildren, Alison (Zach) Wielinga, and their children, Carter, Hayden and Asher, Orange City, Iowa; and Jake (Demitra) Sanow, and daughter, Tilly, Washington, Iowa; brother, Borge (Carol) Kastrup, Laurel; and many nieces, nephews and cherished family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Kai, Carlo, Thorkild, Leo and Robert; and sisters, Ruth Carla and Elsie; sisters-inlaw, Mabel, Millie, Lorraine, Bonna Del and Julie Kastrup; and brotherin- law, Lloyd Nielsen; sisters-in-law and spouses, Alice (Allan) Murray, Louise (Jim) Kidd, Rose (Don) Krogh, Rita (Rome) Starzl, Betty Kennaley and Bonnie (Joe) Ruden; brothers-in-law, Gerald (Winifred) and Donald (Helen) Kenaley.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Ruth’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in care of her family.