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Marilyn E. Anderson Obituary – 8/10/2010


Marilyn Elizabeth Anderson, age 68, of Cokato, formerly of Medicine Lake and Maple Plain, died Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010.

She was born July 8, 1942, in Minneapolis, to Alwood and Katherine (Schultz) Engebretson.

Marilyn grew up in Minneapolis.

She married her husband of 42 years, Bill Anderson, June 8, 1968. After their marriage, they lived in a house on Medicine Lake. In 1980, they moved to a hobby farm in Maple Plain, where they lived for 27 years. They moved to Cokato in 2008.

Marilyn was a homemaker when her children were young. She was a wonderful cook and baker, and an accomplished seamstress, sewing many clothes for her children, and baby quilts and snowsuits for almost any newborn child she knew of.

In approximately 1987, she started working at the Homestead Apple Orchard. She loved working at the orchard and dealing with every aspect of the business. She also worked at a dry cleaners in Maple Plain for many years.

Marilyn was always involved with Bill on their many home improvement projects, working side by side with him, as well as cutting and splitting wood to heat their home for 27 years. Her incredible work ethic is renowned by all who knew her, and this trait has been instilled in her children. Marilyn always helped or volunteered with any projects, whether for the children’s school, at home, or at work.

Marilyn’s true love was her family. She was the model of a good wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, and will be deeply missed.

After she retired in 2002, Marilyn began travelling with Bill to Alaska, Florida, Texas and Arizona. They spent their summers fishing salmon on Lake Michigan, and spent their winters in Arizona.

Marilyn was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2007. As she underwent treatment for this disease, she lost her vision and was soon diagnosed with brain cancer. She battled this disease as hard as she had worked all of her life, and survived years past expectations of her doctors.

Marilyn is survived by her husband, Bill; children Ben (Shelly), Mari, and John (Kari); grandchildren Elliot and Nolan, Kotter, Simon and Wil; sister Jan (Luedke); uncle Jerry Phillips; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Anna Marie; and brothers Howard, Kenny, and Dale.

The funeral service was Friday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church in Maple Plain, followed by interment in Golden Valley.

Visitation was Thursday, Aug. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Swanson Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato, and continued Friday for one hour prior to the service at the church.

Arrangements were handled by the Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato.

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