Anna Rae Aadsen, 17-year-old daughter of Neil and Tammy Aadsen of Kiester, earned her heavenly angel wings early Tuesday morning, July 25, 2017, at her home. Memorial Services will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Kiester. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. The Rev. Katie Pals will officiate. A private family internment will be at a later date in St. Peter Lutheran Church Cemetery in Easton. See www.brussheitner.com to leave online condolences. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home of Wells is assisting the family with arrangements.

Anna Rae Aadsen was born Feb. 24, 2000, at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea to Neil and Tamra Berndt Aadsen. At 1-day-old she had her first seizure and later that day was transported to the NICU at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, where she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder — Aicardi syndrome. Anna Rae was named after her grandfather, Raymond Aadsen, of which he was very proud of. Anna was baptized at Naeve Hospital on Feb. 25, 2000, prior to being transported to Rochester. She was again baptized at Trinity Lutheran Chuch in rural Kiester on April 16, 2000. She was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church on May 15, 2016. She attended United South Central public schools in Wells, where she would have been a senior this coming school year.

Anna loved spending time with her family, going on vacations and traveling to various locations for the biennial Aicardi Syndrome Family conferences. She enjoyed music and was a member of the United South Central school choirs from elementary to her high school years. She enjoyed her dog, Lovey, who liked to sit on her lap when going on outings.

Anna is survived by her parents Neil and Tammy of Kiester; her grandmother, Betty Berndt, of Easton; aunts and uncles Duane and Micki Aadsen of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, Marilyn Mahowald of Faribault, Ron and Lori Aadsen of Longmont, Colorado, Linda and Dave Murray of North Mankato, Russ and Janice Berndt of Good Thunder,  Deb Steinhauer of Albert Lea and DuWayne and Shellie Berndt of Delavan; many cousins; her great-aunts Linda Torgerson of Reno, Nevada, Peggy and Jurgen Nissen of Germany and especially Norlean Berndt of Easton; her great-uncle, David Jordahl, of Mankato; great-great-aunt, Laura Lou Berndt, of West Bend, Iowa; and many Aicardi sisters (princesses) and Aicardi brother (Prince David).

She is preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, Bernard Berndt, in 1998; her paternal grandparents Raymond and Dagny Aadsen in 2003; her uncle, Harold Mahowald; her cousin, David Mahowald; and many Aicardi sisters (angels) who have earned their wings before her.