Anita Mae Madery

ANITA MAE (GARNESS) MADERY

Anita Mae (Garness) Madery, 81, passed away peacefully at Mayo Hospice in Rochester, MN, on May 27, 2018, after a lengthy illness at home, where her family cared for her.

Anita was born in Ashland Township, rural Dodge County, on July 13, 1936, the daughter of Olaf Marcus and Gertrude C. (Chicos) Garness. She attended the country school in Ashland Township and graduated from Dodge Center High School in 1954, where she was the homecoming attendant for the class of 1954. She worked at the Fairview Nursing Home and the Owatonna Canning Factory in Dodge Center for a total of 23 years combined. Anita lived in various homes in the Dodge Center area before moving to the Madery family farm in 1965.  In 1970, she purchased a dairy farm in Kasson, where she lived the rest of her life. She was united in marriage to Merlyn James Madery on September 11, 1954, and later divorced. She and her significant other, Jon Ebersole, were together for over 30 years.

Anita was a very social person, who never met a stranger.  She was a true matriarch, outspoken, strong, stubborn, spicy, and a practical joker. Anita enjoyed cooking, canning, gardening flowers and vegetables, and working on jigsaw puzzles. Above all, Anita loved spending time with her family and going to the family cabin. The day Anita was born, the temperature hit a record high. The day Anita passed away, the temps were at record highs again, which just goes to show what a hot Mama she truly was!

Anita is survived by her children, Merle (Bonny) Madery; Cindy (Justin) Smith; Mark (Pam) Madery; Marlin (Susanne) Madery; Mike (Duane Lewis) Madery; Becky (Gary Taft) Diekman; significant other, Jon Ebersole; 15 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; sisters, Vernice (Glen) Engelken and Peggy Mundt; brothers, Gordon Garness and Victor (Peggy) Garness.  She was preceded in death by her son, Ronald Madery in 1956; sister, Jean Richling; brother, Olaf Garness Jr.; and by her parents.

Visitation will be 5:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday, May 31, 2018, at Czaplewski Family Funeral Home, 801 7 ^th Street SE in Kasson and one hour before the service at the church on Friday.  The funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 1, 2018, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 301 8 ^th Avenue NW in Kasson, MN, with Reverend Nirmala Reinschmidt officiating. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Dodge Center.

Blessed be her memory.

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