Frances J Anderson

Mankato Mortuary
1001 North Riverfront Drive
Mankato, Minnesota 56001
507-388-2202


Frances Jeanette Stiller Anderson died on August 8, 2013, at Oaklawn Nursing Home in Mankato where she had lived for several months. She was born December 7, 1920, in Rochester, Minnesota, to Walter and Myrtle Stiller. She graduated from high school in Rochester, earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, and earned a Master of Science degree from Mankato State College. After graduating from the University of Minnesota she accepted a teaching position in New York Mills, Minnesota where she met her husband, Donald Anderson who was also teaching there. Fran and Don were married February 20, 1943, on her parents' 25th wedding anniversary, in Rochester, Minnesota.


While Don served in the U.S. Army during World War II, Fran taught in Minneota, MN, and then in Zumbrota, MN. Don began teaching in Zumbrota after returning from the Army in December 1945. They lived in Zumbrota until moving to Mankato in 1956 when Don joined the faculty at Mankato State College. Fran worked in the duplicating department at Mankato State College, taught at Mankato Commercial College for many years, then worked for Haefner Auto before retiring. She enjoyed playing bridge, knitting, sewing, and financial investing activities.


Don and Fran retired in 1981 and moved to their cottage on Child Lake between Hackensack and Longville, MN. They spent 28 years there enjoying the lake and feeding and watching birds, especially the loons. They enjoyed traveling abroad and visited countries in eastern and western Europe, the Middle-East, Russia, China, India, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, among other places. They also visited most states in the United States, camping on most of those vacations. Fran loved gardening and enjoyed creating an extensive hosta garden. They especially enjoyed having their grandchildren visit each summer, teaching them woodworking, water skiing, fishing, and working with leaded glass, among other things. Fran especially enjoyed serving breakfasts of Belgian waffles with her home-made jams. All her grandchildren learned to enjoy huge "double' solitaire games that included everyone visiting at the time.


They returned to Mankato and moved to Keystone Communities in September 2009. Don died there in 2010 after 67 years of marriage. In addition to her husband, Fran was preceded in death by her parents and her half-sister Louella Pearson. She is survived and was dearly loved by her children Meredith Kulisheck (Robert) of Marquette, MI; Mark Anderson (Barbara) of Wheatland, WY; Corinne Mueller (Joseph) of Kenosha, WI; and Corliss Bertrand of Mankato; her sister Evelyn Thompson of Seattle, WA; her sister-in-law Lila Anderson of Balaton, MN; eight grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.


Services will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Wednesday, August 21 at 2 pm. Memorials may be sent to MCHS Hospice Mankato or Macular Degeneration Research.