Funeral services for Ruth Caplinn, age 87, of Mobridge will be at 2 PM, Wednesday April 16, 2014 at Bethany Lutheran Church, rural Selby. Burial will be in the church cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 2 PM Tuesday with a prayer service at 7 PM at funeral home. Ruth passed away Friday, April 11, 2014 at the Golden Living Center in Mobridge.

Ruth Clarine Byre was born to Charles and Ethel (Gustafson) Byre and raised on the family farm south of Mound City. She attended country school and high school in Selby. She married Elmer Fritz in 1944 and they made their home on the farm until 1950 when they moved into Mobridge. Five children were born to this union. In 1958 she married Wayne Caplinn and two children were born to this union, and they continued to make their home in Mobridge. Wayne passed away in 1979 and after his death Ruth took in her mother-in-law, Virginia Caplinn, and took care of her until her death in 1992. Ruth continued to live in her own home until August of 2013 when she fell and broke a hip and had to move to the Golden Living Center.

Ruth spent over 40 years waitressing in Mobridge. She loved working in her garden and yard. She will forever be remembered by her family as a loving mother who would do whatever she had to, to give her children what she could to make sure that they were not aware that they were living in poverty. She was a loving caregiver, taking care of her husband and then his mother when they became unable to care for themselves.

Ruth is survived by 3 sons; Larry (Jean) Fritz of Lemmon, SD, Doug (Deb) Fritz of Colorado Springs, CO and David (Toni Shillingstad) Fritz of Mobridge, 2 daughters; Darlys Fritz Hepper (Harold), and Jacklynn Caplinn Ries (Ed) of Mobridge; 9 grandchildren; Melissa Fritz Iszler, Cheryl Hepper Block, Bryce Hepper, Shawn Hepper, Annie Fritz, Sadie Ries Steiger, Ryan Ries, Riki Ries Peterson, Heather Caplinn, three step grandchildren; Barbara Umiker, Brenda Umiker Even, and Bryan Umiker, 20 great grandchildren; Kenan, Kevin, Moriah, Grace, Owen, Haleigh, Jaci, Brayden, Tayla, Sawyer, Logan, Shawn, Alexandria, Jacob, Jarrod, Levi, Branson, Owen, Mattaius and Madison.

She was preceded in death by her husband; Wayne, a son; Wayne Fritz as a toddler, daughter Michelle Caplinn, a granddaughter; Callandra Fritz as a toddler, her parents, sisters; Lillian and Irene and brothers; Earl and Levi.