Ann Carol Ruud

MADISON - Ann Carol (Mittermeyer) Ruud, age 86, of Madison, passed away on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Ann was born on March 26, 1934, in Eau Claire, to Adeline and Dr. E.J. Mittermeyer of Cornell, Wis. The “Mitt” family continued to grow, and Ann was joined over the years by seven sisters and two brothers. Those early years for Ann and her siblings were filled with sports, cheerleading, tumbling, and music, with all 10 children participating in both band and chorus. Ann played the saxophone. After high school, Ann went to work for Northern States Power (NSP, now called, Xcel Energy) in Minneapolis. She first lived in a girls’ club with a “house mother” and later rented a room of her own. She was active in the NSP chorus, which often sang at sports half-time events and intermissions of hockey games. Their most ambitious project was a stage production of the Mikado in a downtown Minneapolis theater. In 1952, Ann met the love of her life, Rune “Ron” Ruud from Stockholm, Sweden. Following graduation from Stockholm University, Ron, a chemist, had come to New York City as a management trainee for a Swedish paper company and was eventually sent to Northern Wisconsin to study the pulping process being done at the Cornell Paperboard Products Company, later called the St. Regis Paper Company. He loved small town life in Cornell and became active in community affairs and sports programs, where he first met his future father-in-law and then Dr. Mittermeyer's family. Once he met Ann, he knew he would not be returning to Sweden. After they began dating, Ann started coming home to Cornell every weekend. They were married on Jan. 23, 1954, and raised their two children in Cornell. Their lives were filled with family celebrations and caroling at Christmastime, Bridge club, Gourmet dinner club, and summer cookouts and outings to Brunet Island State Park. Ann was a homemaker and piano teacher while their children were young. In 1972, the family moved to Eau Claire when Ron accepted a property assessor’s position for the City of Eau Claire. Since their children were older, Ann was ready to rejoin the workforce, first working for two Eau Claire physicians and then spending the rest of her career as the office manager for Chippewa Valley Orthopedics. Ann and Ron were married for 61 years, until his death in 2015. Ann moved to Madison in 2016 to be closer to her daughter and granddaughter. As additional family members moved to the Madison area, Ann loved that many of the family celebrations and get-togethers continued there. Ann is survived by her daughter, Karen (John) of Madison, Wis.; son, Kurt of Niceville, Fla.; granddaughter, Melissa of Madison, Wis.; three sisters and two brothers; cousins; and nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ron; their infant son, John; and four sisters. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Ann will be buried with her husband in the Cornell Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Ann’s memory to Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin, 2802 Dairy Drive, Madison, WI 53718. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420