Rev. Ruth Hograbe died unexpectedly Aug. 17, 2018. She was 66.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at Zion United Methodist Church in South Haven with pastors from Annandale and Zion churches taking part in the service. A light meal will follow. This service is for everyone who knew and loved Pastor Ruth while she served in our community. All are invited to be part of the celebration service and to share special memories of Pastor Ruth with her husband Duane Lookingbill.
Ruth Ann Hograbe was born Dec. 9, 1951, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Harry and Gladys Hograbe. She earned degrees from the University of Iowa, Iowa State, and the University of Minnesota in pursuit of a career in public health. While Ruth was in Minneapolis completing a masters in public health, she was drawn to the Walker Community Church. There she felt a calling to serve as a United Methodist pastor. After completing her Masters of Divinity at Boston University in 1993, Ruth was ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church. She went on to serve churches in Bemidji, Cass Lake, Minneapolis, Beardsley, Browns Valley, Aitkin, Pine Lake, Columbia Heights, Annandale, and South Haven. She retired last year from the Annandale and Zion churches. She always led with courage while sharing hope, faith, love and light with her congregations.
While serving in Beardsley in 2000, Ruth met the love of her life Duane Lookingbill who at the time was a pastor at a church in neighboring Ortonville. Ruth and Duane married in 2002 back at Walker Church.
Ruth is survived by her husband Duane, older sister Linda (and Paul Hardenberg) Osburn, and goldchildren Daniel and Sharupa Buckley-Kranz.
Memorials are preferred to Walker Church. Arrangements were by Washburn-McReavy in Columbia Heights.