Add a Memory
Send Flowers
Make a Donation
Ross Mathews, 100, lived a long and beautiful life. He was born December 7, 1924 and raised in Moorhead, MN to Evett and Edith (McCloy) Mathews, and died Monday, March 31st, 2025, at the Fargo Veterans Hospital.
Ross attended country school in Oakport Township and graduated from Moorhead High School. Ross later graduated from NDSU majoring in Electrical engineering. In 1943 he enlisted in the US Army where he served as Staff Sergeant in the artillery division during WW2 doing 3 years in the South Pacific, and in Korea.
Upon arriving home, He worked for Edling Electric for 10 years and then owned and operated Mathews Electric for over 50 Years. His work as an electrician also led him to do important work during historical events, including the Cold War. Ross met, fell in love with and after some charming, married Ruth Eleanor Kreps on August 19, 1950. They were married for 67 happy years before Ruth passed away in 2017. They raised their family of Rae, Rita and Sheri in Moorhead while working side by side with their business.
Ross and Ruth were blessed richly with friendships throughout their years. The stories of those friendships, the trips they took and special events they celebrated together are still shared today. Ross would never pass up a game of golf, rowdy card game or a happy hour telling stories.
Ross leaves quite a legacy behind. He attributed his longevity to staying active and “getting into trouble”. His 8 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren will remember him by so many things including his strong work ethic, penchant for sweets after a meal, reusing a napkin, finding a way to fix just about anything, and having a goal and working hard towards it, no matter what. Ross had a knack for finding a good deal and knowing when to act on it, whether it was buying a top of the line television off the sales floor for cheap, finding a chunk of land in Northern MN and building a lake house on it with his dad and brother or coming across a condo in Ft Myers he couldn’t pass up. Both places will end up being the home to many vacations and memories for the family over the next 60 years. There won’t be a day soon when we don’t think about dad & grandpa and what he has taught and given us, but we are thankful that he is at rest and reunited in heaven with his beloved Ruthie and all those who have gone before him.
Ross is survived by his daughters, Rae (Lynn) Halmrast, Moorhead, MN; Rita Miller, Moorhead, MN; Sheri (Paul) Hohncke, Fergus Falls, MN; 8 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Celebration of Life: Tuesday, April 8th, 2025, at 2:00 pm with visitation one hour before at Wright Funeral Home, Moorhead.
Interment: Riverside Cemetery, Moorhead, MN
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
605 S 2nd Ave, Moorhead, MN 56560
Memories and condolences can be left on the obituary at the funeral home website.
Donate in Memory
Make a donation in memory of your loved one.
Add photos
Share their life with photo memories.
Plant trees
Honor them by planting trees in their memory.
Follow this page
Get email updates whenever changes are made.
Send flowers
Consider sending flowers.
Share this page
Invite other friends and family to visit the page.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read moreWhat kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read moreWe'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read moreLegacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreThey're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreYou may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read moreThese free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read moreSome basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more