Obituary for Nancy Kay Anderson Daughter, wife, mother and grandmother Nancy Kay Viestenz, 66, went to God peacefully surrounded by family on Monday Oct. 1, 2018. She was born on April 7, 1952 to Louis and Imogene Viestenz in Fargo, North Dakota.
She was the oldest of five sisters and grew up on the family farm west of Arthur, ND. Always bright and willing to challenge the rules a little, the farm was a perfect place for her. As a kid, she found matches and figured out how to light them.
Shortly thereafter she was informed that was not an approved activity for the newly-built barn. Nancy graduated from Dakota High School and attended North Dakota State University as a Kappa Delta. She was always good with numbers and logical questions so she studied computer science.
One night she invited the house dish washer to a party and less than two years later they were married at St. John Lutheran in Arthur on June 7, 1973. She and Douglas Anderson moved to Florida for his Navy training and later traveled through many countries in Europe together. In 1977 they landed on Guam as a typhoon approached the island, and Nancy worked for the Department of Public Safety.
She helped develop one of their first computer filing systems. Nancy and Doug traveled many places including Japan, the Philippines and Hong Kong. After Nancy and Doug left active duty, they moved to West Fargo and later, rural Arthur.
Nancy worked at Crystal Sugar before leaving to farm full time. It is an understatement to say that she loved farming. She loved driving tractor and hauling grain.
There was always a spark in her when field work began. She loved working in the garden or her flower beds. She planted trees for the future.
Nancy and Doug had three kids and raised them on the farm. In the fall, she would drive truck hauling grain to the elevator and dig fields until the work was done. In the winter, she worked as the City of Arthur auditor or substitute teaching at schools around the area.
And in the spring, she was always ready to wash windows and get in the field. Nancy was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Amenia, attended St. John in Arthur and St. Martins in Casselton. She often taught Sunday School and made sure her family learned about Christ and the importance of love, understanding scriptural truths and caring for others.
She was constantly doing things for others from small things like helping balance check books, to large things like caring for people who were ill. Nancy prioritized family and helping others. There was rarely a family graduation, wedding or anniversary party that she would miss.
She was thrilled when two little grandchildren arrived and spent hours reading books, beading necklaces and enjoying time with them. Nancy thrived when when solving puzzles regardless if it was with machinery, algebra or jigsaw puzzles. She made so many things for other people, because she enjoyed crafting, crocheting and scrapbooking.
Nancy kept legendary lists and often quietly took care of details others may have overlooked. She was a master of paperwork and bookkeeping. The farm was the place she was the most comfortable and would not run without her attention to detail.
After dialing back on the farm, she could be found pulling fish out of Big Cormorant Lake in Minnesota, or golfing in the winter in Sunland Village, Mesa, AZ. Nancy was tough, full of calm bravery and determination. This was most evident when she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013.
She was strong through surgery, chemo and radiation. She signed up to try immunotherapy treatment with quiet conviction. Her calm approach to treatment helped others come to terms with the reality of cancer.
She has experienced the miracle of new life with Christ and leaves behind her husband of 45 years Doug, son David (Brittany Duong) Anderson , daughters Tammy Jo (Will) Taft, Kimberlee Kay (Mitchell) Lowry and two precious grandchildren Lillianna and Ali Lowry. She will be missed by her mother, Imogene Viestenz of Fargo. She was an inspiration to her sisters Peggy Pueppke, Karen (Jim) Rehder, Kathy (Steve) Ross and Janet (Dave) Wall.
She will be remembered by her father-in-law Richard Anderson and other inlaws Susie (Dick) Luther, Jane Markegard and Craig (Jenny) Anderson. Her memory will continue to live in the hearts of many cousins, nieces, nephews, friends in North Dakota, friends in Mesa, AZ, Daisy the dog and Princess Poppy the cat. She joins her father Louis Viestenz, brother-in-law David Pueppke and nephew Michael Pueppke.
The family would like to thank all the staff at Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, ND, Banner MD Anderson in Mesa, AZ, and Banner Gateway in Mesa, AZ. We would especially like to thank the doctors who work every day to find ways to treat cancer and give those living with a diagnosis hope for the future. There will be visitation at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct.
3, at the chapel at Meldrum Mortuary, 52 North Macdonald in Mesa, AZ, and a service following at 11 a.m. There will be a funeral service at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at St. John Lutheran in Arthur, ND. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made in Nancy’s honor to the Sanford Health Foundation or the Banner MD Anderson Health Foundation.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Nancy Kay Anderson please visit our Sympathy Store. Upcoming Events Visitation , OCT 3. 10:00 AM Meldrum Mortuary 52 N Macdonald Mesa, AZ, US, 85201 info@meldrummortuary.com www.
meldrummortuary.com Order Flowers for the Visitation Guaranteed delivery before Nancy’s Visitation begins. Memorial Service , OCT 3. 11:00 AM Meldrum Mortuary 52 N Macdonald Mesa, AZ, US, 85201 info@meldrummortuary.com www.
meldrummortuary.com Order Flowers for the Memorial Service Guaranteed delivery before Nancy’s Memorial Service begins.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
