Anne Falvey Riggs

Anne Falvey Riggs, age 85, formerly of Alexandria, MN, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 8, at the Cottage on Forest in Northfield, in the presence of her husband, William (Bill), and a small circle of family and friends. 

Anne was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 6, 1939, to Edward Falvey and Cecile Williams Falvey. She was the youngest of four children. Her parents and older siblings read to her and piqued her interest in books at an early age. They ended every story they read to her with the sentence: “And that is the end of the story, tra-la-la-la-la-la, and they all jumped over a hot potato.” Once she learned to read on her own, she was surprised to discover that stories do not usually end that way.

As a child, Anne aspired to one day become a switchboard operator, an elevator operator, or an Old Gold dancing cigarette girl on TV. Fortunately for her future students, those careers ceased to exist by the time she was an adult. She graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy, attended one year of college at St. Teresa’s in Winona, and transferred to the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul (now St. Catherine University), where she decided to become a French teacher. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in French, English, and secondary education from St. Catherine’s and Laval University in Quebec and also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.

 In 1961 she moved to Alexandria, MN, to teach French and English at Jefferson High School. She also served as an adviser to the cheerleaders, chaperoned most of the dances, and taught a community education French class to adults. A social studies and speech teacher named Bill Riggs who had joined the faculty the previous year was also chaperoning dances. After an exciting faculty romance that enthralled their students, Anne and Bill married on July 15, 1963, the day after Bastille Day. They had a son, Peter; a daughter Michèle, who died of SIDS at age 4 months; and a daughter Joy.

“Madame Riggs” taught for four years, retired from teaching to raise her children, and returned to District 206 to teach for another 21 years. She taught at the middle school and high school and also taught at the elementary level in an after-school program she nicknamed “Baby French.” She took students to France 15 times during her career, and she was named the district’s Teacher of the Year in 1984 and 1993. Some of her students went on to become French teachers themselves; others said her teaching and her interest in them as people broadened their perspectives and changed their lives.

Anne retired early in 1995 and took a job as a clerk at Herberger’s department store in Alexandria. Three months after retirement she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. After surgery and chemo, and the devoted care of her beloved dog Herschel, she made a complete recovery and took a job at the University of Minnesota-Morris, where she worked for eight years supporting aspiring teachers. 

Anne took up running in her 50s, and while recovering from cancer she vowed to run a marathon. Three years after her diagnosis she completed the Twin Cities Marathon and kept running; she completed seven marathons in all, as well as more than two dozen half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks. She also enjoyed kayaking, snowshoeing, and bicycling, and she was proud to have tried parasailing and hang-gliding while on vacation. She did not like to sit still, except to read.

Anne enjoyed traveling with Bill and with friends. A favorite destination for several years was Yelapa, Mexico. Another highlight was a trip to Cuba in 2016, fulfilling a longtime desire of Anne’s to visit that country after turning down an opportunity to do so with her mother in 1959 because she had a date for New Year’s Eve in St. Paul.

In retirement Anne served as an election judge, volunteered with Hospice of Douglas County, and volunteered with the second grade reading program at Lincoln Elementary School. She was involved in the local Democratic party and was an ardent fan of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, believing as he did that “we all do better when we all do better.” In 2018, she and Bill were named grand marshals of the 34th Annual Vikingland Band Festival for their long record of supporting the arts and education in the Alexandria community.

Anne was known as “Nana” to her seven grandchildren, and she loved spending time with them and hearing about their adventures and accomplishments. They adored her in return. She and Bill moved to Millstream Commons in Northfield in July 2023 to be closer to family. Anne enjoyed taking walks downtown along the river and often ended up at the cookie stand at the Northfield Farmers Market. She endorsed the philosophy of eating dessert first.

Anne is survived by Bill, her husband of 61 years; her son, Pete Riggs, of Glendale, AZ; her daughter Joy Riggs and son-in-law, Steve Lawler, of Northfield; her Northfield grandchildren and their partners: Louisa Lawler (Annalise Hollosy), Sebastian Lawler (Jordan Fields), Elias Lawler (Nameera Dawood); her Arizona grandchildren: Kayci Riggs, Lauren Riggs, Sam Riggs, and A.J. Riggs; sister-in-law Connie Falvey of St. Paul; numerous nieces and nephews and other relatives; and countless friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter Michèle; her sisters, Mary Kamish and Marge Falvey; her brother, William Falvey; and her brother-in-law, Daniel Kamish.

A visitation will be held on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, from 4-7 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. A celebration of Anne’s life will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Alexandria, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. She will be buried in the Geneva Cemetery next to her daughter Michèle.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Douglas County Relay for Life, the Hospice of Douglas County, or to the church. 

Anne’s family expresses its gratitude to the staff at Millstream Commons, the Cottage on Forest, Allina Hospice, the Three Links Care Center, and the Northfield Hospital for taking excellent care of Anne during the past two months. 

And that is the end of the story, tra-la-la-la-la-la. And they all jumped over a hot potato.