Agnes Constance Andersland, formerly of Emmons, Minnesota, died on September 24, 2023, at the age of 96.

Agnes C. Andersland

Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Friday, September 29, 2023 at the Schott Funeral Home – Mittelstadt Chapel, in Lake Mills, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at the Scarville ELS Lutheran Church at 10:30 AM on Saturday, September 30, 2023, with Pastor Joshua Skogen officiating.

Interment will follow the service at the Scarville Synod Cemetery.

Agnes was born on November 9, 1926, to Andrew and Clara (Helle) Brudvig. She grew up on a small farm near Scarville, Iowa, with her siblings, Martha (Gullerud), Evelyn, Milford, and Erling. Agnes’s father, Andrew, passed away when she was four years old, so the children all worked to help their mother, milking cows, gardening, cooking, cleaning, canning, sewing and even taking in laundry for other families. Agnes was a faithful Christian and a lifelong member of the Scarville ELS Church; having been confirmed there in December 1926, and married there in December 1948.

Agnes graduated from Scarville High School in 1945 and took a summer course to be certified as a teacher. She taught one year at the Silver Lake, Iowa country school, and two years at the Laugen District 84 school west of Emmons. Agnes met her future husband, Selmer Andersland, at a dance in Albert Lea in 1948. After a brief courtship, they married, and settled at the Andersland family farm near Emmons, MN where they raised their seven children. Agnes was a fabulous homemaker, adept at cooking, baking, gardening, and canning, as well as sewing, quilting, and crocheting. She was well known for her fabulous buns, beautiful doilies, and special quilts. She particularly enjoyed making “girl” clothes for Christine after having had six boys.

After retiring from farming in 1977, and selling the farm to son, Bruce and his wife, Beth, Agnes, Selmer, and the two youngest children, moved to Nisswa, MN, where they owned and operated a small resort on Gull Lake. They enjoyed the lake life, the beautiful sunsets, and entertaining resort guests, as well as many old and new friends and neighbors. Agnes loved to cook and bake, and her baked goods and hearty meals were enjoyed by many throughout her long life. They attended Christ Lutheran Church in Baxter, MN, and were active in many groups and activities, but especially enjoyed the company of friends that they met in the senior group.

In 2000, Agnes and Selmer decided it was time to return to their hometown area. They sold the lake property, and purchased a home in Emmons, MN. They enjoyed reconnecting with their siblings in the area, as well as the families at the Scarville ELS Church. They loved tending to the small city yard and garden, and entertaining friends and family often. Agnes continued to live here even after the death of her beloved husband, Selmer, in 2003. Eventually, the yard and house maintenance became too much, and in 2015 she moved into a Mills Harbor apartment in Lake Mills, IA. After a decline in her health and strength, Agnes spent her final years as a resident at the Lake Mills Care Center in Lake Mills, IA.

Agnes is survived by her seven children, Steven (Sunshine) of San Antonio, TX; Bruce (Beth) of Emmons, MN; David (Laura) of Kalaheo, HI; Craig of Moseby, MT; Michael (Debra) of Gainesville, MO; James (Anessa) of Apple Valley, MN; and Christine Dayton (Kurt) of Ham Lake, MN, 19 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, one sister-in-law, Phyllis Andersland, numerous nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Selmer in 2003, her four siblings, and two grandsons, Scott and Nathan Andersland. She was dearly loved and will be sorely missed.