Ophelia `Kitty` Anderson

Ophelia Marie ?Kitty? Anderson, 90, Hager City, died at her home the evening of November 26, 2006. She was born January 31, 1916 in Cochrane, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, to George and Dorothy (Staak) Bollinger, the eldest of three children. She attended elementary and high school in Cochrane, and was active in many school projects, winning awards in speech and vocal music contests. As a 4-H member for seven years, she won various awards which qualified her for several trips to the Wisconsin State Fair as well as the Chicago World?s Fair in 1933. After graduating from high school in 1933, she attended Winona Business College in Winona, Minn. In addition to her studies, she sang in the girls? chorus and a girls? trio. After graduation she was employed as a bookkeeper at the Cochrane Lumber Company and later as clerk at the Cochrane Post Office. On September 12, 1940, Kitty married Perley R. Anderson, whom she had met three years earlier. The ceremony took place at the Cochrane Evangelical Church where she was a member; Kitty also served as Sunday School superintendent and taught Sunday School for ten years. Kitty and Perley lived in Cochrane until March of 1943, and then moved to Esdaile, Wis. and later to Hager City in 1948. In 1951 she became a member of the Laurel Presbyterian Church where she taught Sunday School for twenty years and served as Sunday School superintendent; she was also a member of Dorcas Circle, often serving as chairperson or secretary for many years. She sang in the choir, served on many committees, and assisted Perley with his duties as Clerk of Session and church treasurer. In 1996 she was honored as an ?Outstanding Senior Presbyterian? by the Twin Cities Presbytery. Kitty was employed as a clerk at the Hager City Post Office for twenty years, retiring in 1986. She enjoyed music, singing, gardening, reading, traveling and being with her family. Perley died March 24, 2004. Survivors include two daughters: Judith (George) Melquist of Robbinsdale, Minn. and Christine (Timothy) Truttmann of Hager City; three sons: James (Mary) Anderson of Darby, Montana, Maurice (Pat) Anderson of Libby, Montana and Joel (Grace) Anderson of Pepin, Wis.; eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, George Bollinger; her mother, Dorothy (Staak) Bollinger; her step-father, John Knecht; her husband, Perley; one sister, Beverly Heitman and one brother, Donald Bollinger. Funeral will be 2 p. m. Friday at Laurel Presbyterian Church with Reverend Amy Flack officiating. Burial will be in Trenton Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Nathan, Jonathan, Luke and Micah Anderson, Jason and Michael Truttmann, Amy and Heidi Melquist. Honorary pallbearers will be Maxie Bollinger, Marvelle Haeuser, Shirley Josephson, Norma Larson, Ruth Stogdill, Joyce Komisar, Lorraine Roude and Elvira Auchampach. Visitation will be 4-8 p. m. Thursday at the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel and on Friday for one hour prior to the service at the church.