Anna Gathje, 98, Rochester

Published 9:00 am Sunday, October 13, 2013

A memorial service for Anna O. Gathje, 98, of Rochester, will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Bethel Lutheran Church with the Rev. Anjanette Bandel officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be at Oakwood East Cemetery.

Anna Gathje

Anna Orelle Bagaason was born on Sept. 2, 1915, in Albert Lea to Arthur and Clara (Dyrdal) Bagaason. She died on Oct. 11, 2013, at Seasons Hospice in Rochester.

Anna graduated from Albert Lea High School. She worked at the Albert Lea courthouse, Leutholds and for American Gas. She married Kenneth “Duke” Pierson on June 28, 1940, at the Little Brown Church. They moved to Rochester in 1958, and she worked for Mayo Clinic as a medical secretary, retiring in 1978. Kenneth passed away in 1971 and she married Charlie Gathje on March 11, 1978, in Rochester. Anna and Charlie enjoyed traveling and dancing and spending time with family and friends.

Survivors include her husband, Charlie, of Rochester; four daughters, Deanne Knutson of Zumbrota, Linda Weiberg of Mazeppa, Anna O. Barker of Woodbury and Elaine (Jay) Lawrence of Rochester; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Arthur and Carroll Bagaason, and one great-granddaughter, Hannah Weiberg of Paris, Texas.