Rosella "Rosie" Anderson

Rosella Elizabeth "Rosie" Hillebrand Hamre Anderson, 98 years and 9 months old, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, formerly of Michigan, North Dakota, and formally of Niagara, North Dakota died Thursday, March 13, 2025, peacefully in her sleep at her Grand Forks, North Dakota apartment home.

Rosie was born a twin with brother Russell Hillebrand in rural Niagara, North Dakota in July of 1926 to parents Edwin and Edna Hillebrand. After Russell was born the Doctor was leaving, but they had to yell to the doctor that, “there’s another one coming”!!! and Rosie was born.

Rosie was a devoted mother to her 3 adopted children, Pamela Rose, Michael Allen, and Mary Beth, they were her pride and joy. She always said they changed her life for the better, and the children felt that in the love and support she provided. Rosie was very devoted to her husband Allen and then her husband Fred for better or worse. Rosie loved her Grandchildren very much, Cluchie Jessica (Shannon) Johns, David (Cortney) Krueger, Jon Krueger, Joseph (Marie) Levay, Terry Rose (Tony) Starke, (it gets complicated) and the many Great Grand Children. Rosie loved the in-laws too. God Bless You All and Thank You.

Rosie was an excellent hard-working bookkeeper for many years for the great people of the Michigan, North Dakota Johnson Store, and the Michigan Grain Elevator, and then Petersburg, North Dakota Grain Elevator after Michigan’s Elevator closed their business. One of her favorite stories she liked to tell was the time she was balancing the books, and she was missing a penny. She said she could have just put a penny in the cash register, but her boss said to find that penny. It took her a while to find it, but she did find the missing penny for the books. Rosie checked on her mom Edna and Mother-in-law Elvina Hamre every day too. I would often be with my mom in those days which instilled in me the importance of visiting family and the elderly. Somehow Rosie found time to cook the best meals and even bring great meals out to the farm fields for the Allen Hamre farm workers. Rosie’s brother-in-law Donald (Janette) Hamre and Nephew Joe Hamre did a lot of farm work together with husband Allen Hamre and son Michael Hamre. We had some awesome farm helpers way back when. Orville and Adelade Gundersons’ great neighbor kids were another farm neighbor family that helped a lot on Rosie and Allen’s farm. Curtis (LuAnn) Anderson was one of my idols who worked for Rosie and Allen. Chuck Chamberlain worked for Mom and Dad. The Gerald and Arlene Zacha family neighbors worked with us and others helped Rosie baby sit the us kids too etc. Charlie and Alice Anderson’s, Ronny and Joyce Dahlen’s, Elmer and Sylvia (Daws) Alme’s kids, Hjelseths, Schwans, and Daws, all farm neighbors who were right up the country roads blessed us kids with many rides to and from school activities, which helped Rosie very much. Rosie was a good and sometimes fast driver. Rosie made many safe hot laps to and from her busy daily activities. One-time neighbor Arlene Zacha stopped in to check on Rosie’s kids only to find us all dancing and singing to the TV show American Band Stand. I tried to get Arlene to join us dancing. Arlene stood there in the living room doorway shaking her head with a big smile on her face and laughing. Rosie was a very excellent cook and hard-working farm wife of the U.S.A.

Rosie loved playing the Pinochle card game with friends throughout the years of her life. Many of the Pinochle games were played back when with Husband Allen and Farm Neighbors Charlie and Alice Anderson back on the Michigan, ND Farm Days. Rosie and all of us enjoyed our Hamre family going on fishing trips with the Michigan Farm neighbors Gerald and Arlene Zachas and Charlie and Alice Andersons, the Leland and Ruth Aafedts, Cal and Mona Chamberlain family, Gundersons and others way back when, and all the great holidays with friends and family Hillebrands, Hamres, Andersons, Zachas, Reinekes, Dangerfields, Garbers, etc. Rosie played pinochle with great friends the evening before she passed away. We were also informed that Rosie won BINGO AGAIN the day before she passed away. BINGO and PINOCHLE helped keep mom going. Edgewood of Grand Forks where Rosie last resided has awesome activities going on. Rosie could get her fingernails done on Fancy Friday Manicure days. Rosie would say too that she needed help with her tough looking fingernails. She couldn’t stop working too hard. Rosie was just crowned Valentine’s Queen at Edgewood a month before she passed away. Rosie had things to look forward to there at Edgewood. Rosie loved the casinos too, Rosie and her 2nd husband Fred would go to the casinos with friends and many of the times were spent with great Michigan neighbors and friends Dewy and Marcy (Bina) Oppegaard of Michigan, North Dakota. They had a lot of fun gambling and cruising around. Rosie always was blessed with great neighbors in Michigan, North Dakota. Rosie loved the Game Show Channel on TV, we paid extra for that channel, it was entertainment for her. The Game Show Channel was basically the only channel she watched out of all the channels on her big screen TV at Edgewood of Grand Forks retirement home. I’m sure all the awesome nurses and other visitors at Edgewood could vouch for that Game Show Channel being on if anything was on at all. Rosie needed a big screen TV as her eyesight was poor from aging eye problems. She needed the volume to turn up as her hearing was getting worse. Mom got tired of her health issues, but she was a real trooper too. She was a “Tough Ol’ Lady” she would say, and I, her son, would vouch for that, “Tough Ol’ Lady” title, she had a way of making her son and others proud and glad to know her. Like the time Rosie was carrying a hot dish into the church and slipped and fell but did not spill the hot dish.

Rosie enjoyed volunteering at the food pantry with all her great friends there during retirement in Michigan, North Dakota. Rosie was active in The Red Hats Club of local Ladies, Bunco dice game events, Bingo, Pinochle, she was President at the Michigan Lutheran Church. She was very active in everything at the Lutheran Church.

Rosie and Fred went on about 5 cruise ship cruises during their marriage. Her favorite being the Alaskan cruise because she saw something new and exciting every day, Hawaii was nice and The Caribbean, etc. Rosie and Fred had a nice house in Michigan, ND with many nice family gatherings. Fred was an extra special blessing to our family. Fred was self-employed with Anderson Oil Co. spending much of his time supplying the neighborhoods with fuel and oil products. He had many Standard and Amoco Oil awards. Michigan people used to call Momma Rosie “Lucky”. I know we were all lucky to know Fred.

Rosie was preceded in death by her parents Edwin and Edna Hillebrand, her husband Allen Hamre who died December of 1992 in Grand Forks at their home then, her 2nd husband Fred Anderson who married Rosie in 1994. Fred Anderson was a best lifetime friend and Classmate of Allen’s and a longtime friend of the family. Fred died in February of 2007, Rosie’s Brother Donny (Loraine) Hillebrand of Shelby, Montana, her Sister Gladys (Paul) Garber of Baltimore, Maryland and then Gladys and Paul moved to Michigan, North Dakota and opened up The Snack Shack restaurant in Michigan, her twin brother Russell (Donna) Hillebrand of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and two daughters Pam Krueger of Cooperstown, North Dakota and Mary Cluchie of East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Many Hillebrand, Hamre, Anderson, Reineke, Garbers, Dangerfield relatives, Sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

Rosie is survived by her son Michael Hamre of Petersburg, North Dakota and many Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and sister-in-law Rose (Charlie) Anderson of western Montana.

Visitation will be held Monday, March 24, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. with Pastor Bud Johnson at Amundson Funeral Home, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Funeral service with Pastor Mark Kolbo will be held Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Michigan Lutheran Church, Michigan, North Dakota with visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. Jason Flom will be the Organist and Singer. 
The burial will be held at a later date at the Michigan North Dakota Cemetery.

The Pallbearers will be Larry Zacha, David Krueger, Jon Krueger, Logan Krueger, David Hillebrand, Dan Hillebrand, Casey Hillebrand, Izaiah Hillebrand.
“Pallbearers on the injured reserve” are Joseph Frederick LeVay and Dana Hillebrand.
Honorary Pallbearers will be all of Rosie’s family and friends, Thank You.

The American Legion Auxiliary Honor Guard of Michigan, North Dakota will be in attendance as Rosie was in the Ladies Auxiliary always supporting the Troops.

GOD BLESS