Ruth Maasjo age 99 of Valley City, ND died Monday Jan 30, 2012 at the Sheyenne Care Center in Valley City. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 AM Wednesday Feb. 1, 2012 at All Saints Episcopal church in Valley City with Rev. Brad Edin officiating. Visitation will be from 4 PM until 7 PM Tuesday at the Lerud-Schuldt Funeral Home and one hour prior to services Wednesday at the church. Interment will be in Woodbine Cemetery at Valley City later in the spring.

Ruth Maasjo was born in Valley City, ND on January 24th, 1913, the youngest of four children of John and Bertha (Pray) Laird. She attended elementary and high school in Valley City, graduating in the class of 1931.

She also attended the Valley City Normal School and received a degree in Education.

In 1933 she began a teaching career that spanned over 45 years, teaching in numerous North Dakota towns including Steele, Leal, Casselton, Norma Township and Fingal schools. She shared many memories of what it was like teaching during the depression, such as living with the family of one of the schoolchildren, sleeping in their attic, and having to get up very early and walk to school to light the furnace so the building would be warm when the children arrived. She specialized in and particularly enjoyed early elementary education, and proudly remembered by name, and often with a story, the many hundreds of students she taught throughout her life.

In 1943 she was married to O’Neil Maasjo, also of the Valley City H. S. class of 1931, at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Valley City, in which her family had been very active. Ruth and O’Neil farmed south of Valley City for many years at their farm affectionately nicknamed “Agony Acres”. She continued to substitute teach and visit the farm often in retirement, avidly pursuing her favorite hobbies of craftwork and gardening.

She was preceded in death by an infant sister, her sister Orpha of Little Falls, MN, her brother John of Fargo, and husband O’Neil.

She is survived by her sons David of rural Valley City, Bradley (Sharon) of Fargo, nephew John (Joan) Faust of Little falls, MN, her grandchildren Kristi (Dan Spealman) of Nairobi, Kenya, Jeff of Denver, CO, and great grandchildren Corrina and Declan of Nairobi, Kenya.