Mary Anderson

Mary Elizabeth Ziesemer was born November 11, 1924 in Piney, Manitoba, the daughter of Richard and Amanda (Ormstad) Ziesemer. At age fourteen Mary and her family moved to Minnesota. Mary was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul?s Lutheran Church near Miltona, MN. She graduated from school District 55 in Douglas County. Her first job was candling eggs at North American Cooler during WWII. On November 11, 1944 Mary was united in marriage to William Anderson. The couple made their home in Alexandria, MN. They were blessed with eight children. For thirty-eight years they ran a small farm on Lake Geneva. After William?s death she sold the farm and Mary moved to Latoka Crest Condominiums. Mary was a homemaker and pastry chef extraordinaire. She was known for her caramel rolls, pies and cookies that she baked for the Alexandria Country Club and Old Broadway restaurant. Eventually Mary stopped working outside her home but she never retired. Mary continued to bake her pies for special friends, you know who you are! Mary enjoyed growing flowers and had a huge garden where she raised vegetables for canning. She enjoyed spending time quilting, sewing, crocheting, doing needlepoint work and had many more hobbies. Volunteering was important to Mary. She served as a Cub Scout leader for eighteen years. She was active at her church in her Ladies Circle and she spent many hours with her church quilting friends. Mary was a woman of strong faith and she loved her church. Those who loved Mary will remember her as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. On March 30, 2014 Mary died at the age of eighty-nine years. Her husband William Anderson; her parents; one grandson, Douglas Anderson, II; one sister, Beatrice Dick; and two brothers, Richard and Gene Ziesemer, preceded her in death. Mary is survived by six sons, Douglas Anderson and wife, Diane, of Alexandria, James Anderson and friend, Karen Karger, of Garfield, MN, William Anderson of Carlton, MN, Marshall Anderson and fianc�, Julee Bitzan, of Garfield. Randall Anderson and wife, Patty, of Alexandria and Sheldon Anderson and fianc�, Renee Schecker, of Evansville, MN; two daughters, Linda Harrison and husband, Stanley, of Johnson City, TN and Loreena Anderson and friend, Teirney Dunnigan, of Minneapolis, MN; sixteen grandchildren; twenty great grandchildren; one brother, Donald Ziesemer and wife, Karen, of Garfield; one sister, Helen Vogt of Little Falls, MN; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Viewing will be held at Anderson?s funeral home, Wednesday, April 2 from 4-8p.m. and the funeral service is being held Thursday, April 3 at Zion Lutheran Church in Alexandria at 11:30. Reverend David Hines and Reverend William Moeller officiate. Interment will be at the Geneva Cemetery in August. Casket bearers include Mary?s grandsons, Brian Anderson, John Anderson, Kristopher Anderson, William Anderson Jr., Marshall Anderson Jr. and Tyler Anderson. Honorary casket bearers include all of Mary?s grandchildren and great grandchildren. Special Thanks to Bethany Home?s Maple Lake staff. Memorials to Zion Lutheran Church Quilters group- 300 Lake Street, Alexandria, MN 56308. Arrangements with the Anderson Funeral Home, Alexandria, MN.