Ardys Tufte

Tufte, Ardys, 94, of Long Lake MN passed away peacefully on August 24 after a brief illness.
Ardys was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth, her parents, Alvin and Hilma and sister, Eloise
Larson.
She is survived by her children: Kathryn (Bill) Kyvig, Julane (Charlie Hautman) Rose, Kenneth Joel Jr.
(Angie) Tufte, John (Sandy) Tufte and Karen Van Buren; her grandchildren Josh (Phebbie Pesquera)
Rose, Jennifer Kyvig, John (Lisa) Kyvig, A.J. (Lindsay) Tufte, Travis (Kelle) Tufte, Ben Tufte,
Brittany, Kristin, Gavin and Ashley Van Buren; great-grandchildren Elizabeth, Ellyn and Ryan Kyvig,
Ellie and Chloe Tufte, sister-in-law, Marilyn Boe, many nieces, nephews, dear friends, and extended
family.
Funeral services will be held on August 31, at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Long Lake.
There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service. Private interment in Dalton, MN.
Ardys was the second child of Alvin and Hilma (Holm) Larson. She graduated from Fergus Falls High
School and attended a secretarial training program before going to work at what was then known as the
Otter Tail County Welfare Department. She met the man who was to become her husband, Kenneth
Tufte, after he returned from serving in the U.S. Army Air Force in England during WWII. They were
married in 1949 and started their family life in Fergus Falls. Ken was the oldest of seven children.
Since Ardys lost her only sister, Eloise, when she was just a teenager, she especially enjoyed being part
of Ken's family and all the fun they had playing cards, bowling and drinking lots of coffee! Ken and
Ardys moved their household to several MN locations as Ken alternated between his banking career
and a strong desire to be a farmer like his father. Ultimately, they moved to Long Lake in 1967 and
Ardys went to work as an executive secretary for Cargill in Wayzata. She loved her job and was
grateful for the stability when Ken died suddenly of a heart attack in 1968. The youngest of her five
children, Karen, was just three years old. Somehow, her strength and faith carried her through this very
difficult time. She was always there for her kids and her grandkids – currently ranging in age from 13
to 46 years! She logged countless hours of baby-sitting time and hosted many Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinners with Cargill turkeys as the main course.
In her retirement years, Ardys served as treasurer for a private investment club. She joined the
Minneapolis Hiking Club and traveled with them to Costa Rica, Alaska, Florida, Branson and New
York State. She especially enjoyed volunteering for her church, Trinity Lutheran, to assemble the
monthly newsletter as well as being a member of their quilting club.
Ardys was grateful for the good health she enjoyed, especially in her later years. With the help of many
wonderful neighbors (thank you, Doug and Jeanne Sorensen!), friends and family members, she was
able to live independently in her own home until just one week before she passed away. She was truly a
remarkable woman and will be deeply missed.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Methodist Hospital Palliative Care Services and
N. C. Little Hospice for taking such good care of Ardys in her final days. We are deeply grateful for
your dedication and heartfelt support.

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