Sally Rutherford

Sally Rutherford, aged 75, of Savage, passed away on November 4, 2024.

A Christian Funeral will be held at 7PM with a Visitation from 6-7PM on Friday, November 8, 2024, all at Glendale Methodist Church,13550 Glendale Rd, Savage, MN, 55378. Refreshments will follow at the church.

Sally is forever remembered by her husband, Dale; sons, Daniel Runyan and Aaron (Jenni) Runyan.

💜In Honor of Sally💜

We kindly ask that attendees wear purple to Sally’s funeral as a tribute to her. It would bring her so much joy to see a room full of purple, celebrating her vibrant spirit and the joy she brought to all of us. Thank you for joining us in this special way to remember and honor her.

Sally's Life Story

I was born Sally Anne Van Dyke on April 21, 1949 in Louisville, Illinois. My mother was Winnifred "Winnie" McKnelly and my father was Albert Van Dyke. Mom was Irish and Dad was Dutch, and they met at church. I grew up on a farm in southeastern Illinois where I enjoyed time with my brother Lynn and sisters Mary Jane, and Lisa. I attended North Clay Community High School where I was active in the National Honor Society, Student Council, Pep Club, Chorus, Library Club, Latin Club, and Chatterbox.

I moved to Springfield, Illinois after high school to attend nursing school. I obtained my Registered Nurse degree from Memorial Medical Center in 1970. I was the President of the Student Nurses Association of Illinois. Nursing school was challenging and so were the nursing house mothers making sure we didn’t have boys up to our rooms or sneaking out at night. Speaking of, I met my future husband Roger Lee Runyan while attending school. He was a pilot working in Chicago advancing his hours. My first job after school was in labor and delivery in Elmhurst, Illinois. Roger and I got married in 1970 and our first son Daniel Joseph Runyan was born on December 17, 1972. 

We moved to Fort Madison, Iowa where we both took new positions in 1974. We had our second son Aaron John Runyan on July 14, 1976. We were married 7 years when tragedy struck, and Roger was killed in a plane crash. At the time of Roger's death, our oldest son Dan was five years old, and our younger son Aaron was one year old. I stayed in Iowa because I had wonderful friends and a fantastic church home; my friends were a tremendous source of support, and they helped me with grieving. 

I met my current husband, Dale, in Ft. Madison, Iowa. After our first two dates, I knew I wanted to marry Dale. He and I continued to see each other, and we decided to get married only five months later! Dale was clear that he was making a commitment not only to me but also to my sons which meant the world to me. 

Dale had a career as a mechanical engineer in the food industry. When he had a new job opportunity, we decided to move our family from Iowa to St. Louis, Missouri. After we got settled in our new home, I worked at the Red Cross in the St. Louis area. 

We moved again from St. Louis to Minnesota for a new career opportunity for Dale at the Pillsbury Company. When Pillsbury was acquired by General Mills in 2001, we laughed and said, "the Pillsbury Doughboy was bought by Betty Crocker"! Although Illinois and Minnesota are Midwest states, when I moved to Minnesota, they told me that "I have a bit of an accent!" 

We love to spend time with our sons' families and with our grandchildren. Dan has two children Madeleine and Alex, and he has moved around a lot. Dan works in the wind and solar energy industry. He has worked in Kansas City, Houston, Tokyo, Amsterdam and now back to his birthplace in Chicago. Our son Aaron and his family live in Shakopee. Aaron works in management at Sam's Club, and he and his wife Jenni have blessed me with five grandchildren, Mason, Kylo, Ben, Lillian, and Addi. 

After we moved to Minnesota, I did not return to the workforce. Instead, I made new friends, and I pursued hobbies including crocheting, knitting, needlepoint, and quilting. I had to stop doing handiwork because I have arthritis in my hands. However, I shifted my interests to card stamping; i.e. creating greeting cards with stamps, inks and embossing. I used to sell my greeting cards when I worked with my friend. However, after she had a stroke, I couldn't keep up with creating the volume of cards required to sell them in a retail setting. Although I no longer sell my greeting cards, I have a friend who travels and gives my cards to her friends, so I do have a new market for my cards in Florida!

Being at home with Dale and spending time with my sons and their families is what gives me joy, and I'm grateful for the life that Dale and I have created.