Delores B. Anderson

It is with sadness we say goodbye to our Mom, Delores Anderson who passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at the Prestige Post-Acute Care & Rehab Center in Ellensburg. She was 102 years young. She will be laid to rest at Silent Hills Cemetery in Aneta, North Dakota where her husband, daughter and other family members are buried.

Our mom, also known as “Grandma A”, was born on August 5, 1917 in Sharon, North Dakota to Otto & Anna (Berg) Bentley. She was raised on the family farm in Aneta with and attended school to 8th grade when her mother died.  Mom was just 14 years old when she took on household duties including help raising her two brothers, Omar and Dean and cooking for farm workers on the 640-acre farm.

She met the love of her life, Fred Anderson, at a dance, commenting later that he had “dreamy eyes”. They were married on June 15, 1941 in Paynesville, Minnesota. They postponed their professional wedding pictures until December 7,1941 and they almost decided not to have them taken, given the attack that occurred on Pearl Harbor that day.  “Our pictures were very somber as it was a very sad day” mom said.

Fred and Delores moved many times – living in Washington DC, Van Nuys, California, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, Washington, Kamiah, Idaho and Wemme and later Woodburn, Oregon.  They operated many businesses over the years, including founding A to Z Rental in Kent and two Sears catalog stores - one in Kamiah and the second in Wemme.  Having retired in Woodburn, they later moved to Ellensburg in 1994 to be closer to family.

They were blessed with three daughters - Suzanne, Candice, and Robin – and the girls were the love of their lives.  Family gatherings, camping throughout the Midwest and all the western states were a summer activity and many included meeting up with California friends. Enjoying summers at their cabin on Lake Koronis in Paynesville, Minnesota were some of our family’s best memories.  Mom was an amazing pie maker and we all make her crust to this day. She loved cooking and having family gatherings.

Mom was fortunate to be blessed with a sharp mind and she told stories in detail on past historical events which included people she knew past and present.  She certainly saw a lot in her 102 years!

She is preceded in death by her husband Fred Anderson; daughter Suzanne and great grandson, Lorne Muller.  She leaves behind two daughters, Candi (Gene) Dana and Robin (Randy) Devoli; four grandchildren - Joe (Amber) Hanson, Jessica (Darren) Muller, Katy (Cody) Morales and Sarah (Tracy) Dana.  She is also survived by three great grandchildren - Dailey, Korwin, and Huxley.

Mom lived through the 1918 Flu Pandemic and left us during, but not as a result of, a global pandemic of similar magnitude.  Prestige did a wonderful job protecting her and the other residents from COVID-19 and, sadly, it was a stroke that ended her life.  The family wishes to thank the Prestige Post-Acute & Rehab Center for everything they did to make mom feel at home.  She truly was happy and loved all her aides and nurses.  Memorial contributions in Mom’s honor are suggested to Prestige Post-Acute Care and Rehab, 1050 E. Mountain View Avenue or to the First Lutheran Church, 512 N. Ruby Street, both in Ellensburg.

Until we meet again, we love you forever Mom.

Steward & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory of Ellensburg has been entrusted with caring for Mom’s cremation arrangements.  Online condolences may be left at www.steward-williams.com