Carolyn Rutherford

Carolyn Rutherford, age 77, of Union Lake, near Erskine, MN, passed away on Wednesday, June 29th, at her home with her family by her side. A memorial service will be held at Noon on Saturday, July 9th, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Erskine with Pastor Tyler Stynsberg officiating. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Erskine and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

Carolyn was born on February 21, 1945, in Anniston, Alabama. She was the daughter of Jack and Lillian Higgins. She graduated from Anniston High School.

Carolyn met Jon Rutherford while working for the Department of Defense in Anniston. They married on May 28, 1970, and recently celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary.

In 1973, Carolyn and Jon moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she worked for the Social Security Administration office for 30 years and then retired. Because she enjoyed helping others, she continued to work part-time for Garden Valley Technologies in Erskine, Minnesota. She then retired to enjoy time with her grandchildren at her lake home.

Preceding Carolyn in death were her parents (Jack and Lillian) and brothers (Ed, Don, and Brian) and a son (Jon Jr.).

Carolyn is survived by her husband, Jon; sister Barbara (Eddie); 3 daughters Marsha (Joe), Vicki (Pat), and Jennifer (Ralph); 10 grandchildren (Kristina, Matthew, Ally, Jocelyn, Brittany, Justin, Zach, Jade, Chase, and Hope); 7 great grandchildren (Charity, Faith, Mason, Zedd, Kayden, Kara, and Freyja; sister-in-law Dianne; and several nieces and nephews.

Carolyn enjoyed watching wildlife and activity around the lake. She also enjoyed gaming, cruises, concerts, and Saturday mornings with her friends. She was an avid fan of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. In her spare time, she loved bowling, reading, and walking.

As we celebrate Carolyn’s journey of life, she would like everyone to remember her with a smile!