Delores Mae Runge

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Pipestone Performing Arts Center in Pipestone, Minnesota.

Delores Mae Runge, 93, was born March 6, 1931 to Harry and Clara (Lembcke) Runge in Pipestone, Minnesota. She attended country school and Verdi School, graduating from high school there in 1949. She moved into Pipestone in 1950 with her parents and in January of 1951 started working for Dahlmeier Insurance and Western Union as well as part time at the Minnesota Playton Corporation. She went to work for the Pipestone County Star in 1955, doing office work. In 1958, she started setting type at the Star Office on a teletype setter on which she set all of the news stories for the Pipestone County Star, eventually including the news stories for the Lake Wilson and Jasper Journal newspapers. In 1968, she went to work at Nicollet Press, a commercial job printing shop owned and operated by Dennis Hanson and Ron Zetterlund. In 1985, after Nicollet Press closed, she went back to work at the Star Office where she worked fulltime until 1996 doing mostly proofreading work until the Coronovirus Pandemic hit in 2020. At that time, she retired completely in March at age 89. 

Delores was involved with the Pipestone Performing Arts Center in various capacities, but especially selling tickets at many of the shows presented and was a member of the Board of Directors until February, 2012. She was a lifetime member of the Pipestone Historical Society and was also a member of Alcoholics Anonymous since 1974.

Among her interests were her many pen pals with whom she started corresponding in the eighth grade in Verdi and continued until her passing. Most of her pen friends lived in the United States, although she had a longtime pen friend living in New Zealand, and she made a trip there to visit her in 1989. Other interests were reading and flowers. 

She is survived by two nieces, Carol (Dennis) Olson of Eau Claire, WI and Sharon (Scott) Tahtinen of Barron, WI; two great-nieces; one great-nephew, one great-great niece; two great-great-nephews; special friends, Dennis and Diane Hansen of Pipestone and their children, and the children of her life-long friends, Lorraine and John Halbersma – Connie Robards, Douglas, David, and Duane Halbersma. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Clara Runge; brother, Harris in 2010; sister-in-law, Rita Runge of Barron, WI; and niece, Karen, as well as long time friend, Lorraine Halbersma.