Ruby "LaRae" Fladstol

In the early hours of Monday, September 9, 2019, Ruby LaRae Fladstol had one final confrontation with a medical complication.  Despite efforts from her father, Clinton; brother, Rusty and responding EMTs, this massive coronary event claimed her life.  A Visitation for LaRae will be held Friday, September 13, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Rose Room Chapel at Croxford Funeral Home. Her Funeral Service will be Saturday, September 14th at 1:00 PM at Croxford Funeral Home. 

LaRae was born in Kenmare, ND and grew up in Conrad, MT.  She and her family moved to Great Falls when she was a sophomore in high school, and except for a few years living in Alabama and Tennessee during her early twenties, she remained in the Great Falls area the rest of her life.  In her late twenties, she met and married John Kaun from the Knees community north of Great Falls.  Despite a consistent effort, the marriage ended in divorce.  However, it did give her the pride and joy of her life: her two children, LaMae and Jonah.  After the divorce, with the help of her immediate family, she worked multiple jobs (often simultaneously) to help foster the development and well-being of her children and other family members.

It’s exceedingly difficult to summarize a person’s life with a few adjectives, but for LaRae, those words would be empathetic, nurturing, fighter.  Undoubtedly a worrier able to foresee and fixate on the most negative possibilities of a situation, she always met said circumstances head on.  Throughout her working years, she took multiple positions promoting development of children, including positions within the Warm Springs Mental Health Facility in Boulder, teaching at the Knees Community School, and working as part of the Head Start, Hands, St. Thomas and Salvation Army programs.  She firmly believed in keeping strong family ties and preferred handwritten, sticker-laden letters over the less personal technological Facebook or texting (although she had been warming up to these).  In addition to children she also loved animals and as such showed great affection for the numerous pets throughout her life, including most recently, a calico cat named Kali, a golden lab named Buttercup, a Pitbull/St Bernard mix named Holly and two Corgis named Einstein and Maggie.  In her later years, despite meager means, she also donated regularly to several animal charities and several children’s organization, such as the Humane Society and St Judes.

In short, she was a wonderful daughter, sister, mother, and over all human who will be sorely missed by all those fortunate enough to know her. 

LaRae was preceded in death by her mother, Ruby.  She is survived by her dad, Clinton; brothers, Rocky, Rusty and Robin; children, LaMae and Jonah; half-sisters, Marie and Karen.

In lieu of flowers, LaRae would have wanted mourners to support their local animal shelters and/or children’s programs.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.croxfordfuneralhome.com

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