Anna “Ann” Nissen
Ann Nissen, age 92 of Appleton, Minnesota, passed away Saturday, August 10, 2024, in Appleton Area Health-Care Center.
Visitation for Ann Nissen will be held Friday, August 23, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Appleton, MN.
Memorial services for Ann Nissen will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 23, 2024, at Zion Lutheran Church in Appleton, MN, with Bishop Craig Anderson and Sister Kay Fernholz officiating.
Interment will be in Appleton City Cemetery.
Anna “Ann” Nissen was born on January 14, 1932, to parents Omar and Agnes (Greseth) Boraas. She was baptized and confirmed at Lac qui Parle Lutheran Church, rural Dawson. Life on the farm was not always easy and she remembered the hard work, especially churning butter. The family lived in a modest 3 – bedroom home where she and her 2 sisters shared a bed. In winter, her parents closed off the north bedroom to conserve energy and her brother moved into their bedroom on a separate single bed. She remembered when FDR announced the US was going into war and there would be rations on sugar, gas, and shoes. Her mother had a recipe for a cookie made with honey called “Honey Jumbles” and a sponge cake also made with honey. After the war, her mother threw the recipes away.
Norwegian was the primary language at home, so she learned English at the District 43 Country School she attended at the age of 4. She graduated from Madison High School in 1949. After high school, she attended the Bartron School of Nursing in Watertown, SD. It was a 3 – year, year-round program. That was followed by a 6 – month affiliation at Cook Country Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, with a focus on psychology and pediatrics. She proudly graduated in September, 1952, and began working at the Appleton Hospital that same month.
She married the love of her life, Keith Steinle on August 9, 1953. This union was blessed with 4 children, LuAnn, Bob, Barbara, and Jim. She continued to work at the hospital until Keith began working for the HJ Heinz Company and the family was transferred to Washington, PA in 1963, and Tokyo, Japan in 1965. Living in Japan for 3 years was an exciting experience for the whole family. Ann worked part-time as a school nurse at the American School in Japan, where the children attended school. Between 1968 and 1969, the family moved to Pittsburgh, PA, Greensboro, NC, and Burnsville, MN. Back in Minnesota, Ann began work at the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington. Keith passed away suddenly on February 11, 1972.
She met the next love of her life, Chris Nissen and they married on June 14, 1974. She and Chris made Appleton their home, and Ann continued to work at nursing homes in Ortonville and Appleton. She officially retired in January, 1997 but got bored at home. She was hired by the Prairie Correctional Facility in the medical unit. She and Chris retired in September, 2005. Her daughter Barbara passed away on April 16, 2016 and Chris passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2016.
Ann loved spending time at the lake, coffee parties, family get-togethers, reading, playing bridge and Mahjong, and most especially travel. She was generous to a fault, and gifted her kids trips to Mexico, New York, Norway, Seattle, Hawaii, and Japan. She also traveled with her husbands to Hong Kong, Jamaica, Europe, and Alaska.
She will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and love for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Ann passed away at the Appleton Nursing Home on August 10th at the age of 92.
She is survived by her three children: LuAnn (Bob) Rheingans of Appleton, MN, Bob (Sherry) Steinle of Victoria, MN, and Jim (Jaime) Steinle of Glenwood, MN; seven grandchildren: Jordan (Kalsey) Rheingans, Kyle Anne Rheingans, Nathan (Heidi) Steinle, Amanda (Dan) Gardner, Keith Huckle, Allie (Kyle) Shaikowski, and Jacob (Lily) Steinle, eleven great-grandchildren: Andrew, Thomas, and Katelyn Rheingans, Addison Rheingans, Greta and Julia Steinle, Eva and Maisie Gardner, Ella Polejewski, and Theo and Zeke Shaikowski; her sister: Gloria Kleven; and brother: Kenneth Boraas; as well as many other relatives and friends.
Ann was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands: Keith and Chris; daughter: Barbara Steinle Huckle; sister: Betty Peterson; niece: Charlene Lund; four brother-in- laws and three sister-in-laws, numerous relatives and friends.
Arrangements are with Zniewski Funeral Home-Vaala Chapel in Appleton, MN.
