Anna Marie Willette, 85, Medford

Anna Marie Willette passed away Nov. 3, 2021, surrounded by her family at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna. She was 85.
Anna Marie Harmer was born May 20, 1936, in Halsey, Neb. to Charles and Pansey (Bailey) Harmer. She married Richard Willette in Wamego, Kan., on April 20, 1955, after he was discharged from the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
The couple farmed in several locations, including Easton, Claremont, and Dexter before moving to Medford in 1982. For a time in the early 1960s, they ran a neighborhood grocery in Owatonna. Anna was a homemaker who farmed alongside her husband. In her later years, she worked at CashWise. She moved to Birchwood Cottages in 2019.
Anna loved dancing and she and Richard often went dancing in their younger years. She enjoyed eating out with family and relaxed by reading magazines and looking through cookbooks with a cup of hot coffee. She enjoyed gardening and tending her flower beds, as well as collecting Frankoma dishes, always looking for additions to her collection.
Most recently, Anna loved playing bingo with fellow residents at Birchwood Cottages.
Anna is survived by 11 children, Evon (Joe) DeMars of Roanoke, Va., Debbie (Dave) Hinrichs of Minneapolis, Linda (Dean) Wilson of Amboy, Kevin (Jodi) Willette of Blooming Prairie, Craig Willette of Rochester, Curt (Susan) Willette of Terril, Iowa, Clint (Janet) Willette of Claremont, Chad (Laura) Willette of Owatonna, Dottie (Sam) Pittman of Owatonna, Cletus (Jeanane) Willette of Dodge Center, and Chuck (Melanie) Willette of Dodge Center; 29 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren; a sister- in-law, Sharon Ward of Mapleton, and brother-in-law James (Carolyn) Willette of Easton.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Richard, in 2010. She was also preceded in death by her parents, sister, Rachel, two brothers, David and Everett, a son-in-law, Thomas Price, brothers- in-law, Everett Ward and Marvin Willette, and sister-in-law, Elaine Willette.
She was a member of Christ the King Catholic Church in Medford, Catholic Daughters and the church quilting club.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Christ the King Catholic Church in Medford at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 6. Burial will be at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery near Easton.
Friends may greet the family the night before for a visitation from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Medford Funeral Home, 310 East Central Ave., Medford, and one hour prior to the funeral at the church.
A rosary will be recited at 3:45 p.m. Friday by the Catholic Daughters.