Obituary of Ruth Fitchett Paulsen

Funeral services for Ruth Fitchett Paulsen, 93, of Milford, will be held Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 10:30 AM at Harbor of Joy Lutheran Church, in Milford. The Rev. Tim Nappe will officiate. Visitation will be on Friday, June 23rd at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford from 4:00-7:00 PM with the family present from 5:00-7:00 PM. Ruth died Wed., June 21 at Hawkeye Care Center, in Spirit Lake, surrounded by her loving family. Ruth Elizabeth Madsen was born July 9, 1923 in Moneta, IA. the middle child of Soren and Emma (Berg) Madsen. She received her education at Royal and was proud to have played girl's basketball on their team. She was the Champion Speller in 1934 in a contest sponsored by the Des Moines Register, portrayed characters in one-act plays and sang in the girl's quartet throughout her school years. Ruth graduated from the Royal High School in 1940. After high school she worked as a waitress where she met her future husband, Raymond Dean Fitchett. The two were married on Jan. 9, 1944 at Bethany Lutheran Church, in Spencer. The couple resided on a farm at Newell, IA before moving to Spencer. In August of 1959, the couple moved to Milford for a short time before moving to a farm, east of Milford. Raymond farmed and worked at Spencer Pack. Ruth started selling Tupperware in 1963. During her near 40-year career with Tupperware, Ruth served as a Manager of the Rocketeers, a group of 36 saleswomen throughout northwest Iowa and Minnesota. Her biggest achievement was her unit selling $100,000 of Tupperware in one year. She won many trips, large gifts, earned recognition and became known as "The Tupperware Lady." She was often described as a "woman who could sell you anything!" The joke in the Fitchett household for years was that both Raymond and Ruth wanted to be buried in a Tupperware container that someone would "burp" and they would remain fresh forever. After she retired from Tupperware at age 70, she opened and operated three can redemption centers in Milford, Spencer and Estherville until she "really" retired some 10 years later. Raymond died July 24, 1998. Ruth married Herman Paulsen on Sept. 1, 2001. The couple lived in Milford and Spencer. Herman died in 2014. Ruth enjoyed a very independent life at Keelson Harbor Assisted Living and a short time at Hawkeye Care Center, both of Spirit Lake. She was outspoken, spunky, adventurous, fun and crazy at times. She loved leaving wacky messages on her children's answering machines when she called and always was available to babysit the grandchildren on a moment's notice if needed. One of her favorite pieces of advice was "there is nothing so bad that happens that it can't be fixed! Ruth faced some health adversity in her later years including the installation of a pacemaker at age 92. She was overjoyed when she learned that it was guaranteed for 10 years! Ruth was always on the go and reminded many of an energized bunny. In her spare time, Ruth was an avid bridge player and never passed up an opportunity for a competitive game nearly until death. She also enjoyed an occasional trip to the casino and sewing and was especially proud that she sewed all the bridesmaid dresses for her three daughter's weddings. In her earlier years, she was active in First Lutheran Church, a choir director, circle leader, bible study and the Fun and Friendship Club of Milford. Survivors include four children: Wayne (Terri) Fitchett, of Milford; Dianne (Phil) Lowman of Council Bluffs, IA; Julie (Rick) Muselman, of Waukee, IA; and Susan (Dean) Reiser, of Milford; 10 grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; one sister, Maxine Whatley, of Chandler, AZ; and a host of relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, great grandchild Kimberly Fitchett in 1993, husband Raymond in 1998, husband Herman in 2014 and sister, Vernita Youde in 2016. Interment will be at Milford Cemetery.