Ann M. Vanderwal

Funeral services were Tuesday, March 2, at 11:00 a.m. at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Wheaton, MN, with Father Joe Vandeberg officiating. Music was provided by organist Cindy Sanasack and vocalists Doug Frisch and the Dumont Choir.

Burial will be at a later date in the St. Peter's Cemetery, Dumont, MN. Pallbearers were Josh Dickerson, Fred Stinar, Butch Ludowese, Mark Simonson, Gary Simonson and Mike Gaulrapp.

Visitation was Tuesday one hour prior to the service at the church. The Eggers Funeral Home in Rosholt, SD, was in charge of the arrangements.

Ann was born December 12, 1927, in Adrian, MN, the daughter of Liberat and Christina (Mahler) Vathroder. She moved to Collis as a very young child and attended school there. As a young adult, she worked in Minneapolis for a short time, moving back to Collis where she met and married Joseph George Vanderwal.

Joe and Ann married and began their farming career January 14, 1953. Thomas Mark joined their family in 1959 and Joni Mae in 1961. Ann worked as a nurse's aide and later in the kitchen, holding various posts at Grace Nursing Home in Graceville. One of her greatest joys was to help those in need and being able to laugh. Ann and Joe retired from farming and moved to Wheaton in 1989.

Ann enjoyed sewing; her family regularly benefited from her quilts and wonderful cooking and baking, especially her apples pies. She will be remembered for her dry humor, her sharp wit, her caring hands, and as a loyal wife, proud mother, and loving aunt and grandmother.        Survivors include her husband, Joe of Wheaton; son, Tom (Sue) Vanderwal of Park Rapids, MN; daughter, Joni Butterfield of Grand Forks, ND; 7 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; sister, Alma (Virgil) Gaulrapp of Wheaton; and brother, Robert Vathroder of Lady Lake, FL.

Ann is preceded in death by a sister, Dorathy Simonson and brother, Edward Vathroder.