Harriet Anderson

Memorial services for Harriet H. Anderson, age 87, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 7, 2015 at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Chapel.  Rev. Judy Converse will officiate.  Interment will be at a later date at Hillcrest Cemetery.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.  

Harriet H. (Hintz) Anderson was born 10 February 1927 to Walter A. and Margaret E. (Buendorf) Hintz.  She grew up in Kiester Township near Walters and Mansfield, Minnesota.  She married Omer T. Anderson, of Winnebago County, Iowa on 23 September 1944.  She died 30 January 2015 at the Lutheran Retirement Home, Northwood, Iowa.

Harriet worked at a variety of occupations over the years but retired from cooking at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea.  How she made it to work in the winter, after Omer died, is still a puzzle.  Apparently no snow drift was too deep at 4:00 A.M.  The Naeve staff needed those extra cookies and sweet rolls.  Harriet also had special recipes for baked beans and potato salad for extended family occasions.  She was pleased to be the (German) girl that knew how to make excellent lefse (Norwegian!) and even lutefisk!!

Omer and Harriet raised three sons and were thrilled when grandchildren were born.  Harriet loved to indulge the grandchildren and then keep them a bit longer to spoil them just a bit more.  Their driving lessons commenced early and all survived wiser and more excited for the experience.  Harriet used that valuable practice to take great grandchild indulgence to new heights.  They were all extra rays of sunshine in her life and simply did not live near enough to satisfy her.

Harriet was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Omer, her sister LeAnn Bronson, her sister Georgeen (Phil) Ackerman, brother Llewellyn “Louie” (Edith) Hintz, Omer’s brother Luverne (Wilma), dear cousin Elaine (Oscar) and late friend Delores.

Harriet is survived by sons Steve (Joey), Loney and Don (Jane); grandchildren Heather (Chris) Thofson and Rod (Leann) Anderson, great grandchildren Torin, Jordan, Ella and Haddie and honorary grandchildren and great grandchildren (Harriet claimed them, no matter how many steps were involved) Christy (Brad), Tim (Maureen), Michael,  Lucas, Jessica (Kirsten), Nathan and Andrew.  She is further survived by her late sister’s husband Kermit, her late husband’s brother Marvin (Elaine), her former colleague and dear friend Jeanette (Rich) and many nephews and nieces.

Harriet moved to the Lutheran Retirement Home 27 May 2011 and came to regard the many people who make it what it is as extended family.  She was grateful for their kind efforts to make her life comfortable.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.