Dolores “Dee” Ranum, age 96, of Valley City, ND, died Wednesday, November 19th at her residence in Valley City.  A funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 2nd at Epworth United Methodist Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Monday, December 1st from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Epworth United Methodist Church.  A prayer service will be held at 7:00 PM on Monday, December 1st  at the church.  Interment will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery.  An online guestbook and livestream of Dee’s service will be available at www.lerudmathias.com.

Dolores (Dee) Elaine Ranum, the daughter of Elmer and Maud Christopher, was born January 15, 1929 in Blendon Township, Davison County, South Dakota.  Dee moved with her family to Hollywood, CA in 1932 on a cross country trek in the family Model A Ford. Dee attended Hollywood High with her siblings and had adventures galore with her brothers and sisters. She grew up amongst the stars during the Golden Age of the Silver Screen- often waiting on actors and actresses at her father’s filling station and the bakery where she worked. Her grandchildren were the benefactors of her bakery experience and remember her specialties: homemade buns, chocolate cake, and lemon meringue pie.  On December 28, 1945 Dee married Richard Ranum in Van Nuys, CA. The couple moved to North Dakota in 1946. Dee ran a motel in Rogers, cooking all of the meals for the dam builders being housed there. The couple moved to “The Farm” and began farming in Getchell Township near Valley City in 1950. Dee worked relentlessly alongside Richard to build up the farm and tend to their family of seven. Dee proudly drove a combine alongside her son, grandson, and daughter in law until she was 72 years old and only tipped it over once. Dee was active in her church and served on the board, managed Vacation Bible School, taught Sunday School, and was President of the Women’s Missionary Society for many years. Dee was happily married to Richard for 65 years and cared for him in the last few months of his life in their home. Their marriage was one filled with hard work, respect, and most importantly love and laughter.  Dee was a renaissance woman. Outside of her farming talents, she was an avid painter, quilter, seamstress, and woodworking enthusiast. Her quilted bags can be seen carried all over Valley City. She managed the annual Ranum Family 4th of July Picnic and often demonstrated her incredible hula hoop talents. She imparted her knowledge of Hopscotch, Anti-I-Over, Red Rover, and Kick the Can to her grandchildren. She loved clothes and often sported three to four changes of outfits per day. She never met a pair of shoes she didn’t like. She could wear white pants while doing yardwork and they were still white at the end of the day.  She loved her red 1975 Olds Delta 88 with red velvet seats and she did pay all of the speeding tickets she accumulated in it. She was known at Jefferson Elementary School as “Grandma Lead Foot.” Dee took in Gregory Peck’s German Shepherds (Greg and Peck) at the farm when he could no longer keep them in California. She raised beautiful roses and had stunning flower beds. Her ability to mispronounce names was legendary. She asked for your help on a project but had it done before you could get there to assist. In her last years when she did accept help, she would tell her family,“When you get old and I get young I’ll take care of you!” She kept track of the comings and goings of Bruce and Jordan and the farm until the end.  “You can take the girl out of the farm but you can’t take the farm out of the girl,” was what she would say. She also was often quoted as saying, “I’m going to WEAR OUT, I’m not going to RUST out.”  She kept that promise.  Dee’s life was not an easy one but no three people have ever been happier when they were together than Dee and her sisters Helen and Ellie. They shared an enviable sisterhood that was filled with laughter and …laughter. Dee’s brother Cliff was also very special to her and visited the farm many times and left a lasting impression. Theirs was a family that survived hardship and valued each other.  Dee did not fear leaving us or what would come next. She was ready to meet her Lord and Savior whom she worshipped devoutly her entire life. She was always clear that her passing should be followed by a celebration because we could be assured she was going home.  In her last days she spoke frequently about going home.

Dee is survived by two sons, Bruce (Bonnie) Ranum, Valley City, ND and Charles

(Wendy) Ranum, Milwaukee, WI; two daughters, Cynthia (James) Hansen, Sioux City, IA and Deborah (Tim) VanHal, Oriska, ND; 18 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great grandchildren.

Dee was preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings, daughter Baby Girl

Ranum, and her son Michael (Cheryl) Ranum.

Dee was very thankful for the adventures she had with and care provided by three very special people: Kaley, Kassidy, and Brooklyn of Elderbee Care.