Charlotte O. Smaby

RUSHFORD, MINN. - Charlotte O. Smaby, 96, of Rushford, died on Thursday, October 25, 2007, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Rushford. Charlotte was born on September 11, 1911, in Bucyrus, North Dakota to Ole and Caroline (Jutland) Dahle. She was raised in North Dakota and graduated from Bucyrus High School and Dickenson Normal School in North Dakota. Charlotte taught for a short time following college. She attended the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis, Minn. In 1939 she married Orlean Rue. Charlotte and Orlean lived in Wolf Point, Montana and then moved to Duluth, Minn. where Orlean died in 1950. Charlotte moved to Minneapolis where she worked for 10 years at Marsh and McLennen Insurance Company and also worked at the American Lutheran Church Headquarters until her retirement in 1972. She married Alfred Benston. The couple moved to Peterson, Minn. Alfred died in 1975. Charlotte married Norris Smaby. Norris and Charlotte moved to Rushford in 1978, where Charlotte lived the remainder of her life. Norris died in 1996. Charlotte was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Peterson, Minn. She is survived by three sons: Sylvan (Cathy) Rue of Rockford, Ill., Loren (Jean) Rue of Rushford, Minn., and Loyal (Marilyn) Rue of Decorah, Iowa; one daughter, Cleone (Kurt Schmickle) Rue of Rapid City, South Dakota; one stepson, Nick (Michelle) Smaby of Minneapolis, Minn.; two stepdaughters: Louise (Ken) Kjosa of St. Charles, Minn. and Molly Smaby Kleven of St. Paul, Minn.; 22 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren. Besides being preceded in death by her husbands, she was also preceded in death by two brothers, two sisters, one daughter at birth, and one stepson, David Benston. The funeral service will be at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30, at Grace Lutheran Church in Peterson, Minn. with the Rev. Ron Warnes officiating. Burial will be in the Park Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minn. Friends may call from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. prior to the service at the church. Please feel free to sign the online guestbook, leave a memory of Charlotte and view her Tribute Video at www.hofffuneral.com Hoff Funeral Homes - Rushford Chapel is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/?id=12426