Memorial

Ruth Ann Bungum, 79, of Anamosa, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, January 9, 2020, at the Monticello Nursing and Rehab Center following a lengthy battle with cancer. 

Ruth Ann Rain was born on April 4, 1940, in Fountain, Minn., to parents Cyrus and Myrtle. She was a 1958 graduate of Chatfield High School. Married June 18, 1960, at Root Prairie Lutheran Church in Fountain, Minn., Ruth Ann and husband Peter enjoyed nearly 60 years of marriage.

After high school, Ruth Ann worked as a medical secretary at the Mayo Clinic. Still newlyweds, in 1962, Pete and Ruth Ann made the decision to leave Minnesota for Anamosa, Iowa, when Pete was offered a position teaching middle school geography. They’ve called Anamosa home ever since.

During her many years in Anamosa, Ruth Ann held several jobs, most notably as an assistant to the prison doctor and deputy warden at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, and also as church secretary at St. Paul Lutheran Church. In the late 70's, Ruth Ann accepted a position at the Jones County Treasurer's Office, from which she retired in 1999 as deputy county treasurer. 

During their retirement years, Ruth Ann and Pete traveled to 48 states, Mexico, the Caribbean, and took fifteen trips to Europe. Ruth Ann excelled at solving crossword puzzles, loved cooking and canning, doted on her plants and flowers, and was famous among local Norwegians for her lutefisk and lefse. Ruth Ann was a huge fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Chicago Cubs; she enjoyed traveling for Iowa football bowl games and saw one of her greatest dreams fulfilled when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. 

Ruth Ann is survived by her husband, Peter; children, Bradley (Lene Rindom) and Carron Bungum; grandchildren, Wesley and Ellyn Rickels, Alexandra Bungum, and Mads and Mathilde Karmark; great-granddaughter, Freja Karmark; brother, Roger Rain; many extended family members and friends; and her beloved cat, Jordan. She was preceded in death by her parents, and two brothers, Vergel (Arlene) and Maurice (Gloria) Rain. 

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 201 N. Ford St., Anamosa, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 15 at the same location, with a viewing beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Memorials in her name may be directed to the American Cancer Society (http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Bungum).