Agnes Anderson
Agnes M. Anderson, 97, of Waukon passed away peacefully Friday, January 19, 2024 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 24 at 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial will be at Old West Paint Creek Cemetery, rural Waukon. Friends may greet the family from 10:30 a.m. until the time of services Wednesday at the church. The family would like to invite friends to a celebratory lunch beginning after the church service; the family will join them after the burial.
Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Allamakee County Food Shelf, St. John’s Lutheran Church, or to a charity of choice.
Agnes Magdaline Anderson was born January 22, 1926 in Allamakee County to Lars and Anga (Sanderson) Johnson. She had one brother, Howard. They lived on Elon Road, where her father farmed, until she was two when they moved to 404 West Main Street, Waukon.
Agnes attended school in Waukon, where she served as Class President her senior year and was voted Homecoming Queen by her peers. She graduated from Waukon High School in 1944. It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Bob “RJ” Anderson. They were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon August 11, 1946, shortly after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy. She took pride in having both her daughter and granddaughter choosing August 11 for their wedding dates so all three couples could celebrate their anniversaries together.
Agnes’s life was dedicated to serving those around her. In her younger years, she worked at the West End Grocery and Piggly Wiggly. Her favorite lifelong job, and one in which she excelled, was being a homemaker. Always the family caregiver, she helped her ailing mother for 10 years and her husband in the last years of his life. Together with her husband, Bob, Agnes raised their children: Linda, Larry and Lori. During this time, she displayed her love for her community and service to those around her by being an election worker, serving on many committees at St. John’s Lutheran Church, visiting and bringing mail to the elderly in the nursing home, making beautiful quilts and quiet books for her family and friends, and knitting caps and blankets for newborns. She was the family seamstress, always ready to mend the next project.
Agnes loved her garden and shared her canning and excellent homemade meals with everyone around her. It brought her joy to teach her family to make everything from rosettes, krumkakke and sandbakkels, to potato salad. She patiently showed her daughters, granddaughters, and niece how to can everything from tomato juice to pickles. It was not a family celebration without her creamed potatoes and peas. We all loved her cooking!
She was a wonderful neighbor to lifelong friends at 404 West Main, where she lived for over 60 years. Her days were always busy! She tried her hand at ceramics and even learned technology on her iPad at 90 years old. She loved her family dearly and was always ready to help out whenever and wherever needed. She was an amazing, loving and caring grandma, always with loving arms ready to comfort.
Agnes was the giver in the family, quietly doing for others while unselfishly giving of herself. She was never the family center of attention, but she was the one to make everything happen flawlessly! She also became a little feisty in wanting things just so.
In her spare time, Agnes enjoyed many hobbies. She loved bowling in a league where she won many accolades. She enjoyed playing canasta with her many friends, riding with Bob in parades in their antique cars, and going out dancing. Both took pride in the beautiful acreage they developed in Village Creek called “Swede Bottom”. This became a special place for them as well as for family and friends. Bob and Agnes were enthusiastic supporters of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Chicago Cubs!
In their 73 years of marriage, Bob and Agnes enjoyed many trips together. They traveled with good friends to the Bahamas and many Iowa Hawkeye games. They enjoyed visiting his brother, Jim, and friends in Arizona, and trips to Michigan, Maine and Montana to visit their son and family. Other memorable trips included taking all of their family to Disney World to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
Agnes is survived by her three children: Linda (Dean) Krambeer of Pine Island, MN, Larry (Maggie) Anderson of Brainerd, MN, and Lori (Randy) Hesse of Waukon; eight grandchildren: Cori (Kevin) Arce, Dena (Bob) Weinmann, Tom (Kelsey) Krambeer, Russ (Elsa) Anderson, Josh (Jessica) Anderson, Zach (Alissa) Anderson, Heath (Jill) Hesse and Heidi “Magdaline” (Chris) Goetzinger; 21 great-grandchildren: Amelia and Max Arce, Theo and Mabel Krambeer, Katherine, Willa, Milo and Josetta Anderson, Ari and Luna Anderson, Henley, Thea, Solveig, Sloane and Navy Anderson, Sid, Veda and Lennon Hesse, and Grady, Sawyer and Archie Goetzinger; her brother-in-law, Bill Anderson; her special niece, Mary; and nieces, nephews, and many cousins.
Agnes was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Howard; and her husband, Bob, in 2020.
A loving wife, mom, grandma, great-grandma - a life well lived! You will be sorely missed, but live in our hearts forever…
Honorary casketbearers are her three granddaughters: Cori, Dena and Heidi, her card playing friends, and caretakers who have been so good to her. Casketbearers are her grandsons: Tom Krambeer, Russ, Josh and Zach Anderson, and Heath Hesse.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
