Ruth C. Sanders

Published 9:07 am Thursday, May 29, 2025

Ruth C. Sanders passed away at her home in Burnsville, MN surrounded by loved ones on May 5, 2025.

The family will host a memorial service on Saturday, June 21, at 11AM at Order of Eastern Star Unity Chapter 29, 303 A North Main St, Austin, MN 55912.

Ruth was born on April 26, 1932, in Red Wing, Minnesota to Albert and Nettie (Staska) Camp. She graduated from Albert Lea High School with the class of 1950, and that same year she was united in marriage to Andrew Sanders. After Andy served in the Marine Corps and obtained his pharmacy degree, together they owned and operated Sanders Drug in Albert Lea, which was founded by Andy’s father in 1915.

Ruth had also worked at Hy-Vee for 16 years and operated a Scuba Daddys Dive Shop in Apple Valley with Andrew for more than 20 years. After teaching scuba at the Albert Lea YMCA for decades and diving themselves whenever they got a spare minute, they built a resort on the Caribbean Sea in southern Mexico in 1993. Ruth and Andy left Albert Lea to operate Sand-Wood Villas, a diving resort in Xcalak, Mexico, north of Belize. They enjoyed sharing the Caribbean and scuba diving adventures with family, friends, and guests for more than 22 years.

Ruth’s family includes her son Robin Sanders and his wife Teresa of Burnsville, son Alan Sanders & wife Margie of Burnsville, son Terry Sanders and wife Debbie; 8 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Those that have preceded Ruth in death include her husband, Andy; son Brian Paul; parents Albert and Nettie Camp; father-in-law and mother-in-law Vere and Hazel Sanders; niece Carol Murphy Bridley; sister Dardy Nelson, sister Lonnie Murphy; and sisters-in-law Justine Esse, Harriet Rhiger, Wanda Doyle, and Dorothy Smith.