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Obituary of Anna Margaret Rodvang
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Nels Thomas Rodvang was born in Coronation Hospital on May 8, 1927. He passed away peacefully on June 21, 2019 at the Coronation Long Term Care Centre. Anna Margaret Griffiths was born in Coronation Hospital on October 23, 1931. She passed away peacefully on March 20, 2023 at the Coronation Hospital. Tom and Anna spent their final days surrounded by loving family, friends and community.
Tom grew up on his parents’ homestead near Throne. He was the son of Norwegian immigrant parents, Andrew and Ragnhild Rodvang, and the older brother of Anne, Edith, Bertha and Astrid. At age seven Tom started school in Throne and attended until grade nine. When he was sixteen he went to Olds College, where he studied agriculture and made life-long friends. Following college Tom returned to the family farm.
Anna was a daughter of Egbert and Edith Griffiths and sister to Jim, Ralph, Charles, Jean and Muriel. She grew up on her parents’ homestead near Fleet. After High School she went to Teachers College in Edmonton and then taught for three years at Coronation, Lucerne and Bulwark.
Anna and Tom met at a dance in 1946. They married in 1953 and bought a homestead farm where they lived for seven years and welcomed Kathryn, Andrew, Loren, Carolyn and Joan. In 1959 a farm fire destroyed all but their little house, so Anna and Tom rebuilt at Tom’s parents’ homestead where they raised their family. In 1982 they built another country home and they retired to Coronation in 2009.
Tom and Anna’s family and the farm were their pride and joy. They were wise, loving, generous, and unfailing advocates for each other, their children and their children’s partners, and their grandchildren. Anna and Tom were lifelong learners who loved to read, learn, think and debate. Anna loved to visit with people, while Tom was a great listener and observer with a compassionate heart.
During his lifetime in agriculture Tom developed exceptional skills as a farmer, rancher, innovator, and self-taught engineer. Anna was active on the farm and she had a special love of harvest time – if she wasn’t driving the baler or the grain truck she was making a picnic for the field. She enjoyed helping with the cattle and was an accomplished horse woman. Tom and Anna were pleased and proud when Loren and Jackie and Andrew and Lois joined and helped to expand the family farm and build lives for themselves and their children.
Anna always had a garden and took pride in preserving enough fruits and vegetables to last the winter. Her yard was filled with flower gardens and she took pleasure in hosting family weddings and parties. One guest asked her if the farm was located on an oasis in the prairie. Anna was an accomplished seamstress and she sewed most of the family clothes, and also special-occasion dresses for many relatives. She was also prolific at quilting, knitting, needlework, and other crafts.
Anna was enthusiastically supportive of her community. In 1961 Anna and her friends started the Sunshine Club, and for 60 years they hosted and catered famously delicious food at weddings, funerals, bonspiels and showers. Anna was a member of the Coronation Fair Board and the Royal Purple, and she served several terms as a Paintearth/Clearview School Board Trustee and Paintearth County Councilor. She was active with the Further Education Committee and of course that meant she took all the courses.
Tom and Anna enjoyed traveling. They visited family in Norway and England, they joined family on a cruise to Alaska, and they enjoyed farm tours to Argentina, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Cuba and China. They also traveled from the east coast to the west coast in Canada, including many trips to visit their daughters’ families in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Lethbridge.
Anna and Tom were predeceased by their granddaughter Kristin and several of their siblings. Anna and Tom are lovingly remembered by their children, Kathryn & Rob Lannigan, Andrew & Lois Rodvang, Loren & Jackie Rodvang, Carolyn & Peter Andrews, and Joan & Ron McNeil, and grandchildren Heather & Doug Kavanagh, Darragh & John Creary, Julie & Shawn Baxter, Allison Rodvang, Eric Rodvang, Leah Rodvang, Evan Rodvang, Holly Andrews, Kate Andrews and Alayna McNeil, and great grandchildren Luke, Ryan and Ava Kavanagh, Nolan Creary, and Emma and Hugh Baxter. Tom and Anna are survived by Anna’s sister Jean Checkel, Tom’s sister Bertha Gjertsen, Tom’s brother-in-law Ken Needham, and many nieces and nephews.
We would like to thank the physicians and staff at Coronation Assisted Living, Long Term Care and the Coronation Hospital for their loving care of Anna and Tom. We thank all of Anna and Tom’s friends and family for their support and good wishes.
You are invited to a celebration of the lives of Anna and Tom, Coronation Community Hall, 2 pm, June 3, 2023.
1931 2023
Death notice for the town of: Stettler, Province: Alberta
death notice Anna
Margaret
Rodvang 1931 2023
obituaries notice Anna
Margaret
Rodvang 1931 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Anna
Margaret
Rodvang 1931 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.