1922
Anna
2015
Anna Oberg
June 14, 1922 — March 30, 2015
Memorial services for Anna Oberg will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, MN. Reverend John Holt will officiate. Visitation will be held an hour and a half prior to the service at church. A private interment will be in Riverview Cemetery in Elmore, Minnesota at a later date.
Anna Oberg, age 92, of Albert Lea, Minnesota passed away on Monday, March 30, 2015 at her home in Albert Lea. Anna Lucile (Olson) Oberg was born on June 14, 1922 at the family farm, two miles north of Elmore, MN; the sixth of four girls and one boy. She was baptized and confirmed at the Shiloh Lutheran Church in Elmore, was a member of the Luther League, and sang in the choir.
She attended Country School, Dist. 108, two miles from their home… and "No" she didn't walk through snow to get there. She had her first attack of asthma the beginning of the first grade; which prohibited her from any physical activity in cool air for the rest of her life.
By the time she graduated from high school in the Class of '40 she had been elected the all-school president and was chosen to be the first "Miss Elmore" to ride on the float leading the Elmore Band at the Mason City Band Festival the following summer.
She graduated from Minnesota Business College, Mpls. in 1943 with bookkeeping and secretarial degrees. Her first job was at Westinghouse Electric in Minneapolis as a secretary.
Gene N. Emerson and Anna L. Olson were married February 17, 1943 at the home where she was born, with Pastor Mondale officiating. To this union three boys were born. Gene had to leave on an oil tanker from the Pacific coast two weeks later. Anna moved to Long Beach, CA the next year and worked at the Consolidated Steel Shipyards as a secretary.
When the war ended, they bought their first car, packed their belongings, and headed back to Elmore. Under the GI Bill of Rights Gene trained at a dry cleaning business in Wells, MN and Anna learned much about the alterations and repair of clothing. They had a building built in Elmore and opened the Spic and Span Dry Cleaners in 1944. In 1956, Gene died as a result of being burned over 75% of his body while changing a valve in the top of a large upright boiler. All of the steam and hot water hadn't been drained from the boiler.
Anna ran the cleaners for two years, but with the cost of hiring help, it wasn't lucrative enough to support the four of them. She passed the Civil Service exam and worked at the Elmore Post Office at a temporary position.
The American Cancer Society and Dr. Menefee, the pathologist at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea gave her an opportunity; she trained at the laboratories at St. Mary's Hospital and the clinic in Rochester to become a certified cyto-technician. Then she moved with her three sons to Albert Lea in the winter of 1958. She scheduled her lab work so she could prepare and pre-screen the slides in the evening and early morning so she was able to work a second job. She started doing alterations for the stores downtown and in 1960 she bought the Albert Lea Tailors from Glen Bennett located in the lower level of the Albert Hotel. He worked with her a year, teaching her about the business.
Emil (Swede) Oberg and Anna Emerson were married April 11, 1964 at the First Lutheran Chapel. To this union one son, Steven was born. Swede was "Dad" to Anna's three boys and Anna received the bonus of three daughters.
When the college bought the Albert Hotel, she moved the equipment to the Shoff Building and sold it shortly after that because their son Steven needed her care.
She taught herself how to monogram with a regular sewing machine and a hoop, and did the names and emblems on all the athletic jackets in the area at home. She continued to do them for twenty plus years.
She retired as a cyto-tech when Dr. Menefee retired in 1978. The manager of Leuthold Clothing asked her to start a tailor shop in the lower level of their building. She later sold this, but continued to work as a tailor until the age of 86.
In spite of her busy work schedule, she always found time for things she enjoyed doing along her way. She enjoyed activities in whatever church she belonged to; teaching Sunday School for 35 years; all the women's activities: altar guild, sewing quilts, sewing five sets of paraments, the acolyte robes, and covers for all the communion silver. She was elected President of the First Lutheran Church Women in 1998. It is hard to say which was her favorite pastime: gardening, sewing, or bridge playing. She appreciated all the good friends she collected along her way.
She leaves to mourn one son, Steven (Stephanie) Oberg; three daughters, Sally (Jack) Moore, Jean (Ed) Schlede, Susan (Richard) Michaelis; one daughter-in-law, Lynette Emerson; eleven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; eight nieces; and five nephews.
She was preceded in death by her two husbands; three sons, Bruce, Bradley, and Bob Emerson; two grandchildren, Marie [Warner] Steiger and Jeffrey Moore; four sisters; one brother; five nieces; and three nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Albert Lea Area Hospice, Peace & Power at First Lutheran, Albert Lea Senior Center, or a charity of donor's choice.
Blessed be her memory.
Anna Oberg, age 92, of Albert Lea, Minnesota passed away on Monday, March 30, 2015 at her home in Albert Lea. Anna Lucile (Olson) Oberg was born on June 14, 1922 at the family farm, two miles north of Elmore, MN; the sixth of four girls and one boy. She was baptized and confirmed at the Shiloh Lutheran Church in Elmore, was a member of the Luther League, and sang in the choir.
She attended Country School, Dist. 108, two miles from their home… and "No" she didn't walk through snow to get there. She had her first attack of asthma the beginning of the first grade; which prohibited her from any physical activity in cool air for the rest of her life.
By the time she graduated from high school in the Class of '40 she had been elected the all-school president and was chosen to be the first "Miss Elmore" to ride on the float leading the Elmore Band at the Mason City Band Festival the following summer.
She graduated from Minnesota Business College, Mpls. in 1943 with bookkeeping and secretarial degrees. Her first job was at Westinghouse Electric in Minneapolis as a secretary.
Gene N. Emerson and Anna L. Olson were married February 17, 1943 at the home where she was born, with Pastor Mondale officiating. To this union three boys were born. Gene had to leave on an oil tanker from the Pacific coast two weeks later. Anna moved to Long Beach, CA the next year and worked at the Consolidated Steel Shipyards as a secretary.
When the war ended, they bought their first car, packed their belongings, and headed back to Elmore. Under the GI Bill of Rights Gene trained at a dry cleaning business in Wells, MN and Anna learned much about the alterations and repair of clothing. They had a building built in Elmore and opened the Spic and Span Dry Cleaners in 1944. In 1956, Gene died as a result of being burned over 75% of his body while changing a valve in the top of a large upright boiler. All of the steam and hot water hadn't been drained from the boiler.
Anna ran the cleaners for two years, but with the cost of hiring help, it wasn't lucrative enough to support the four of them. She passed the Civil Service exam and worked at the Elmore Post Office at a temporary position.
The American Cancer Society and Dr. Menefee, the pathologist at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea gave her an opportunity; she trained at the laboratories at St. Mary's Hospital and the clinic in Rochester to become a certified cyto-technician. Then she moved with her three sons to Albert Lea in the winter of 1958. She scheduled her lab work so she could prepare and pre-screen the slides in the evening and early morning so she was able to work a second job. She started doing alterations for the stores downtown and in 1960 she bought the Albert Lea Tailors from Glen Bennett located in the lower level of the Albert Hotel. He worked with her a year, teaching her about the business.
Emil (Swede) Oberg and Anna Emerson were married April 11, 1964 at the First Lutheran Chapel. To this union one son, Steven was born. Swede was "Dad" to Anna's three boys and Anna received the bonus of three daughters.
When the college bought the Albert Hotel, she moved the equipment to the Shoff Building and sold it shortly after that because their son Steven needed her care.
She taught herself how to monogram with a regular sewing machine and a hoop, and did the names and emblems on all the athletic jackets in the area at home. She continued to do them for twenty plus years.
She retired as a cyto-tech when Dr. Menefee retired in 1978. The manager of Leuthold Clothing asked her to start a tailor shop in the lower level of their building. She later sold this, but continued to work as a tailor until the age of 86.
In spite of her busy work schedule, she always found time for things she enjoyed doing along her way. She enjoyed activities in whatever church she belonged to; teaching Sunday School for 35 years; all the women's activities: altar guild, sewing quilts, sewing five sets of paraments, the acolyte robes, and covers for all the communion silver. She was elected President of the First Lutheran Church Women in 1998. It is hard to say which was her favorite pastime: gardening, sewing, or bridge playing. She appreciated all the good friends she collected along her way.
She leaves to mourn one son, Steven (Stephanie) Oberg; three daughters, Sally (Jack) Moore, Jean (Ed) Schlede, Susan (Richard) Michaelis; one daughter-in-law, Lynette Emerson; eleven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; eight nieces; and five nephews.
She was preceded in death by her two husbands; three sons, Bruce, Bradley, and Bob Emerson; two grandchildren, Marie [Warner] Steiger and Jeffrey Moore; four sisters; one brother; five nieces; and three nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Albert Lea Area Hospice, Peace & Power at First Lutheran, Albert Lea Senior Center, or a charity of donor's choice.
Blessed be her memory.
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