Anna M. Opsahl

MASON CITY: Anna M. Opsahl., 97, of Mason City, died Sunday, October 4, 2009, at her home. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday (October 8, 2009) at St. Josephs Catholic Church, 302 5th St. S.E., with the Rev. Craig E. Steimel officiating. Interment will be at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM 7:00 PM on Wednesday (October 7, 2009) at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Memorials may be directed to the Anna Opsahl memorial fund in care of the family.

Anna was born August 16, 1912 in Haugen, WI, the daughter of Mike and Frances (Kopecky) Duda. In 1917, her family moved to Karlin, MO, where she attended school. In the late 1920s she moved to Mason City. On August 17, 1934, she married Clarence Wade Haxton in Britt, IA. She later married Knute Opsahl on November 2, 1957 in Austin, MN. She worked in many different departments at Armour Meat Packing for 28 years, before retiring in 1975. She was a member of St. Josephs Catholic Church, and a former member of the Moose Lodge and the Eagles. She was an avid bowler and from 1987 1989, she was the Strike and Spare League Champion. Anna enjoyed dancing, listening to music (polka and modern), listening to the Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday nights, playing the accordion for her childrens entertainment, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
She is survived by her daughter: Sharon Hopkins of Mason City, eight grandchildren; thirteen great grandchildren; and six great great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands: Clarence in 1956 and Knute in 1959; one daughter: Virginia Ashburn; two sons: Leon and Jerry Haxton; two grandchildren: Jeff and Michael Haxton; three sisters: Emma, Mary, Rose; and three brothers: Frank, Louie, Charlie.