Ruth A. Seykora

Ruth Agnes Pagel Holt Seykora, age 86, of Faribault, MN passed away July 17, 2025, at New Perspectives in Faribault.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Shieldsville, MN, with Father Timothy Sandquist officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to mass at the church. Interment will be held at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Shieldsville immediately following the mass. Lunch will be served following the Interment.

Ruth Seykora was born March 10, 1939, in Red Wing, MN to Henry and Agnes (Iverson) Pagel. Her mother died 10 days after she was born so she was raised in Northfield, MN, by Clarence “Kelly” and Vera (Jensen) Holt. Ruth went by the Holt last name. She graduated from Northfield High School in 1957. She went to the University of Minnesota, School of Nursing and graduated in 1959 as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

She moved to Owatonna, MN, to work at the Owatonna Hospital. She met Meinard James Seykora and they were married March 4, 1961, at Sacred Heart Church. Meinard and Ruth raised 3 children, Debbie, Jerry, and Tom. Ruth worked at the Owatonna Hospital for 4 years, District One Hospital in Faribault for 2 years and then at Owatonna Clinic for 9 years. In 1975, she began work at Owatonna Tool Company as a systems analyst (19 years) and then moved to the Export Shipping office (2 years). She retired from OTC after 21 years of service in 1996.

In 1989, Meinard and Ruth moved from Owatonna to Morristown, MN on Cedar Lake where they enjoyed the lake life. In 2010, she moved to Faribault. Ruth loved to go bowling and was in a league for well over 20 years. She also loved to play cards and bingo, fishing, tend to her flowers, reading, and travel. She was very talented with her crochet hook and crocheted many Afghans for her family. She belonged to the Red Hats Society, in Morristown, was a VFW Lifetime Auxiliary member, an American Legion Auxiliary member and belonged to the Moose Club. She volunteered at the American Legion for many weddings and Sunday suppers. She was also very active at her church being a Eucharistic minister, weekly gifts/money counter, and preparing and serving at the funeral lunches.

She deeply loved her family and loved spending time with all of them.

She is survived by her daughter, Deborah (Brian) Kelley of Nashville, TN, and two sons, Gerald (Traci) Seykora of Cypress, TX, and Thomas Seykora of Faribault; by 10 grandchildren: Mitchell (Allison) Kelley, Weston Kelley, Lauren Kelley, Lena (Matt) Lipschultz, Brittany (Andrew) McLoud, Kyle (Audrey) Seykora, Jimmy Seykora, Jordan (Alissa) Seykora, Anna Seykora, and Alycia (Matt) Friedman; by 7 great grandchildren: Chase Lipschultz, Vanden Lipschultz, Natalie McLoud, Logan McLoud, Von Roeder Seykora, Jaxon Escamilla and Owen Friedman; by her sister, Joan Raines of Cambridge, MN; by six sisters-in-law, Marie Kubicek of Blooming Prairie, MN, Marge (Tom) Brazil of Bullhead City, AZ, Rita Stilwell of Owatonna and Monica (Keith) Indykiewicz of Rochester, MN, Deloris Seykora of Owatonna, and Nancy Seykora of Carlsbad, CA, and by many nieces, nephews and other relatives and good friends.

She was proceeded in death by her husband, Meinard Seykora on October 13, 2005, both sets of her parents, Henry and Agnes (Iverson) Pagel and Clarence and Vera (Jensen) Holt and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Sigmund and Mary (Pribyl) Seykora; by 2 sisters, Betty Cheadle and Barbara Hancock; by five sisters-in-law, Blanche Trotman, Rossana Seykora, Virgina “Ginny” Seykora, Eunice Seykora, Jeanette “Jan” Roofe; by 13 brothers-in-law, Chuck Raines, Mike Cheadle, George Hancock, Henry “Hank: Seykora, Jerome “Jay” Seykora, Albert “Al” Seykora, Joseph “Joe” Seykora, Benjamin “Ben” Seykora, James “Jim” Trotman, Robert “Bob” Kubicek, Douglas Stilwell, Tom Roofe and Fred Garlough; by three nieces, Carolyn Stangle, Jackie Trotman, Mary Yager; and by six nephews Michael Cheadle, Mark Seykora, Charles Seykora, Paul Seykora, Michael Seykora, Robert Seykora.