Anna Mae Prichard

Anna Mae Prichard, 94, of Devils Lake, North Dakota, and formerly of Maddock, North Dakota, passed away Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 at the Good Samaritan Society in Devils Lake, North Dakota. Public Visitation will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Monday, March 12, 2018 at the Nelson Funeral Home in Maddock. Funeral Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 31, 2018 at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church in rural Minnewaukan, North Dakota with Pastor Allen Campbell officiating. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be all of Anna Mae’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the St. Olaf Lutheran Church or the St. Olaf Cemetery fund: 5646 47th Street NE Minnewaukan, ND 58351.

Anna Mae Ellingson was born Sept. 27, 1923 to Elmer and Ida (Skadeland) Ellingson in Eldon Township, Benson County, North Dakota. At an early age, she worked for various neighbors doing housework and helping feed the threshing crews during harvest. Anna Mae graduated from the Minnewaukan High School in 1942. In 1944, she followed her parents to Long Beach, California, where she worked at Douglas Aircraft distributing parts to different hangers and also pulling the finished B-52 planes out of the hangers. She returned to North Dakota to help her parents manage the Minnewaukan Hotel.

Anna Mae was married to Henry Hanson on Jan. 12, 1946. The couple started farming in Eldon Township on the Henry Skadeland homestead raising small grains, beef and dairy cattle. Anna Mae also worked for the Elden Township School. Henry died Nov. 12, 1967. She continued farming with her son, Curt, and working at the Benson County Court House. On Jan. 3, 1970, Anna Mae married Irvin Prichard and moved to Maddock where they resided in a home that they relocated from a rural Maddock farmstead. Irvin passed away June 7, 1996. Anna Mae remained in their home until her 90th birthday, when she moved to the Maddock Memorial Home. She enjoyed her stay there as she continued to dance whenever the opportunity presented itself. Anna Mae was baptized, confirmed and a lifetime member of the St. Olaf Lutheran Church in rural Minnewaukan. She was a member of WELCA, taught Sunday school and held various church offices during her lifetime.

Anna Mae was active in the Maddock bowling league, American Legion Auxiliary, a member of the homemakers and her beloved Maddock Bridge Club until her 90th birthday. She was talented in crafts such as crocheting, embroidery, cross stitch gardening and refinishing furniture. Anna Mae made and mailed baked goods to family members and enjoyed people stopping by to visit and have coffee. Through her dementia journey, she remained kind and gracious to family, friends and caregivers while maintaining a calm demeanor and her sense of humor. Anna Mae blessed her family with her faith in God, her strong family values, wisdom in life and her positive attitude. Her family will remember her “never give up” attitude and her motto of “it will all work out.”

Anna Mae is survived by her children: Curtis and Deborah (Jones) Hanson of Maddock, North Dakota and Linda (Hanson) and Doug Johnson of Whitefish, Montana; grandchildren, Scott and Dawn (Twete) Johnson of Devils Lake, North Dakota, Stephanie (Johnson) and Patrick Gulick of Kalispell, Montana, Amy (Hanson) and Jeff Huschka of Farmington, Minnesota, Matthew and Lilliana (Murtazaieva) Hanson of Minot, North Dakota, Turi Hanson and Nate Leiphon of Devils Lake, North Dakota; great-grandchildren, Brady Johnson, Abby Johnson, Kali Gulick, Sidney Gulick, Carson Gulick, Carter Huschka, Alyssa Huschka and Cole Hanson; sister, Caroline Haugen of Devils Lake, North Dakota.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Ida Ellingson; husbands, Henry Hanson and Irving Prichard; siblings, Ella Kalinowski and Vernon Ellingson.

Online condolences may be left at www.thenelsonfuneralhome.com. The Nelson Funeral Home of Maddock is in charge of the arrangements.