Wayne Ruhter, 60, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Wayne Delmar Ruhter, PhD, age 60, of Walnut Creek, Calif., passed away peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, at the Abel Care Home, Concord, Calif., following a battle with cancer.

He was born to Elmer H. and Irene H. (Steinbach) Ruhter on April 26, 1946, in Austin. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Michael&8217;s Lutheran Church of rural Waltham. He attended rural school near Waltham through the fifth grade and then continued school in Blooming Prairie where he graduated in 1964. In 1968 he graduated from St. Olaf College at Northfield. He served four years in the United States Air Force and then obtained his PhD from the University of California at Davis. Wayne was married to Penny Smith on June 22, 1975. He worked as a nuclear physicist at the Lawrence Livermore Lab where he recently retired.

After growing up on the farm he still needed to be that farmer. He made many trips back to Minnesota to help in the spring and the fall. He also combined this hobby into his home&8217;s landscaping and backyard gardening.

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He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Oct. 7, at 11 a.m. at St. Michael&8217;s Lutheran Church, Waltham, with the Rev. John Heruth and the Rev. Glenn L. Monson officiating. Interment will be in the St. Michael&8217;s Lutheran Cemetery in Waltham. Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. Saturday until the time of the service. Arrangements are by Clasen-Jordan Mortuary, (507)433 – 5727, 209 Second Avenue N.W., Austin.

Music will be by Kristine Allas.

Casket Bearers will be Ellen Wuertz, Harvey Steinbach, Allen Paape, Michael Larson, James Schlichting, Josiah Benedict.

Wayne is survived by his brothers, sister and families, Gary Ruhter of Burnsville, Natalie and Curtis Larson of Hayward, and their children, Amy and Michael Larson of Hayward, David and Angela Ruhter of Austin, and her children, Josiah, Lydia, Gabriel, and Andre Benedict of Austin, special friend, Karen Seuss, and former wife and friend, Penny Ruhter.