ANDERSON, Myrtle Christina 1903-1998

ANDERSON, LEE, GORDON

Posted By: K.L. Kittleson
Date: 12/21/2008 at 15:11:42

OSAGE, IOWA — Myrtle Christina Anderson, 94, of Osage, died Tuesday (Jan. 13, 1998) at the Good Samaritan Center, Algona.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Osage, with Pastors Dennis Hanson, Roy Ott and Kathy Larson officiating. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Champion Funeral Home, Osage, and one hour prior to services on Saturday at the church.

Myrtle was born March 25, 1903, near Carpenter, Iowa, to Andrew and Ella (Gordon) Lee, and baptized and confirmed at Deer Creek Lutheran Church. Hers was the last class to be confirmed in Norwegian. She spent most of her formative years with her aunt, Carrie Lee, a pioneer farmer.

She graduated as valedictorian from Carpenter High School in 1922 and in 1926 from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.

She then returned to Mitchell County and secured her first teaching position in the Stacyville School and then at Little Cedar, where she also coached. One year her team placed second in the Girls State Basketball Tournament. In later years she taught at Mitchell, Orchard and St. Ansgar.

On May 12, 1928, she married Ren John Anderson at the Lutheran parsonage in Charles City.

Soon after their marriage, Ren, who was a Stacyville rural mail carrier, was transferred to the Osage Post Office. They became the parents of three children, Audrey Joan, Paul Gerhart and Dale Lee.

Myrtle was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church and served as Ladies Aid president, a member of the Martha Circle, director of the cherub choir and caretaker of plants and floral arrangements. Her many years of work with the cherub choir and children's Christmas programs left an appreciation for the old hymns and a life-long influence on many people in the Osage community.

She enjoyed her garden, particularly tending her flowers and raspberry patch, and fishing with her family in Northern Minnesota.

She was an active member of the Rural Mail Carriers Auxiliary, Shakespeare Club, and Sons of Norway.

An example of her service to others would be the year she provided a home for Linda, Diane and Doris Marreel, after the loss of their parents.

She was an active member of Our Saviors until becoming a resident of Good Samaritan Care Facility in September of 1994.

Myrtle and Ren had three children who survive her; daughter, Audrey and her husband, Milton Monicken, of Duluth, Minn.; and sons, Paul and his wife, Carol, St. Ansgar; and Dale and wife, Sharon, of Ames; 13 grandchildren, Andrea Monicken, Milwaukee, Wis.; Lyssa (Scott) Cummings, Roseville, Minn.; Mary (Billy) Winner, Janesville, Wis.; David (Mami) Monicken, Fairbanks, Alaska; Thomas Monicken, Fairbanks, Alaska; Kari Anderson and her husband, Paul Witalison, Egg Harbor, Wis.; Lori (Mark) Jungck, Onalaska, Wis.; Christopher Anderson, Grafton; Jonathon (Carrie) Anderson, Evansville, Wis.; Marla (Troy) Eagen, Rochester, Minn.; Paul Scott Anderson, Ames; James (Ivy) Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn., and Holly Anderson, Cedar Falls; 16 great-grandchildren, Sarah and Katie Stollenwerk, David and Karli Cummings, Ajni and Logan Winner, Skyler and Erik Witalison; Ajna, Hans and Ren Jungck; Megan, Molly, Brian and Laura Eagen; and John Tenner Anderson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ren; Aunt Carrie Lee; brothers, Russell Lee and Arnold Lee.