Avanelle Anderson

Avanelle E. Anderson, age 81, of Wautoma passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017 at Heartland House in Wautoma.

A mother who would do anything for her sons. A kind, caring Nurse . The lady who loved babies. Always willing to help when something needed doing. The best peanut butter cookies ever. And so many more ways to describe a very special woman.

Born in Wittenberg WI to a very young Mom who spent most of the time away working and with a Dad gone off to the west coast, Avanelle spent her first years with her Grandma & Grandpa Joubert at their farm, the place she always identified as "home".

When her Mom married Erhardt Mielke the family moved to Milwaukee for a time before heading back north, moving around a some but always staying in the Wittenberg area. During Avanelle's high school years in Wittenberg the Mielke family decided to move once again but this time out of the area, to Wautoma. Wanting to stay in Wittenberg Avanelle moved in with her Aunt Myrtle and her family working as a waitress and babysitting for her young cousins to pay a small rent.

After high School Avanelle moved to Milwaukee once again but this time it was to pursue a RN degree from the Milwaukee Hospital School of Nursing. It was during this time that she wound up taking care of a young Swedish immigrant. Telling her roommates "I'm going to marry that man" her prediction came true.

Married in 1958 to Harold Kjell Anderson they waited until the summer of 1959 for a honeymoon trip to Harold's homeland of Sweden. Where Avanelle wholly embraced her new husbands native culture and family forming a lifelong enthusiasm for anything" Swedish".

Not long after Kjell Erik the first of 3 sons was born followed by Jon David and Nils Thomas. A more caring, loving, dedicated Mother could not be found. Shortly before Jon was born Avanelle became a stay at home Mom. But not one to sit still Avanelle drove kids to music lessons, worked as Camp Nurse so her boys could attend summer camp, volunteered as Den Mother, drove vanloads to speed skating and skateboarding parks. Attended countless concerts. Worked on the board of directors for the Milwaukee Pops Youth Band and the Vasa Swedish clubs. Worked for years as Chairman for the Swedish food booth at the Milwaukee Folk Fair amid many other activities.

After Nils was in high School Avanelle went back to Nursing working at Milwaukee County Hospital.
Along came retirement time and Harold & Avanelle moved to Arkansas where once again needing something to do Avanelle took a job as School Nurse. They stayed in Arkansas for a few years before the lure of being closer to family brought them back to Wisconsin.

Sitting around was again not an option so a Nursing job at Rosemore Assisted Living in Wild Rose as well as stints on the Board of Directors for the Wautoma Senior Center and local AARP chapter were in order.

It was after the return to Wisconsin that perhaps the most important event happened... Granddaughters were born. Avanelle was finally a FarMor (Father's Mother in Swedish). It had been a long wait but Nils and Julie finally gave her the grandchildren she wanted so badly. Hannah and Grace Anderson were the apples of their FarMor's eye and she loved them "More than you know".

Preceded in death by husband Harold and oldest son Erik, Avanelle is survived by Sons: Jon and Nils(Julie). Granddaughters: Hannah and Grace. Sisters: Betty (Ted) Long, Mary (Clark) Reilly, Margaret (Don) Dorn and Arlene "Tyke" (Ron) Snowden. Many nieces, nephews and other family & countless friends.

Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church in Wautoma with Rev. Robert E. Hanson officiating. Burial will be in Hope Lutheran Cemetery at a later date.

Relatives and friends may greet the family at the Church on Saturday from
9:00 a.m. until the time of services.