Ellen Anderson

Ellen Christine (Troska) Anderson of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, passed away due to an acute onset lung disease on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. She was 65 years old. She was surrounded by family and friends, just as she had asked. A memorial service for Ellen will be held at 11 AM on Wednesday, April 24, at Bayview Freeborn Funeral Home with pastor Kristi Mitchell presiding. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service.  Burial will be at the Alden City Cemetery.

Ellen was born on August 6, 1958, to Anne and Raymond Troska. She was their first born. She attended Alden-Conger School, kindergarten through high school. After high school graduation she graduated from Mankato Technical College. She moved to the Twin Cities and went on to spend her adult life around the Minneapolis area. She worked for Honeywell and National Home Security before beginning her 25-year career at Nob Hill Decorative Hardware. She quickly became a driving factor in making Nob Hill a success. She was always very well respected by her employers and employees, manufacturers, builders and designers. She developed life-long bonds with many of them and created a family atmosphere. Her dogs Ollie, and then Louie, were such constant companions of hers that they went to work with her every day. Louie even ended up with his own blog on the Nob Hill website.

Ellen was united in marriage to Keith Anderson in 1988. She was so honored to become a bonus mom to Keith’s daughter, Kelly. She loved her as her very own. It was through Kelly that she was able to become Nana to five beautiful grandchildren, whom she absolutely adored.

In 2017, Ellen met Isaac Rue and the two quickly realized how much they both had a love for the outdoors. Ellen commented several times how much she loved hiking with Isaac on their first date. They both felt so lucky to have found love a second time.

Ellen was fiercely independent and from an early age considered herself in charge. Just ask her siblings. She was funny, loving, selfless, a hard worker and always quick to dig in and work hard however she could help. Ellen loved MN Twins baseball and golf. She also loved cooking, especially bakeoffs with her grandchildren, and chasing North Shore waterfalls with her sister Sara. Ellen and Sara were inseparable and communicated in some way nearly every day.

Ellen is survived by her fiancé Isaac Rue, siblings Michael (Joni) Troska, Tom (Amy) Troska and Sara (David) Reindal; Bonus daughter Kelly (Brad) Peissig and their children, Brie (George) Marquis, Kallan, Macy, Riley and Logan; nieces and nephews Sam (Dani) Reindal, Chrissy Reindal, Jenni Imel, Danny Troska, David Troska, Matt (Brooke) Troska, Lindsay Troska and Kari (Steve) Charboneau.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Anne Troska, brother Joel Troska, nephew Nick Reindal, husband Keith Anderson and his son Todd Anderson.