Anne Alice Kiefer, 95, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 27, 2002, with family members by her side at St. Mary's Care Center in Winsted.

Born Annu Alida Kostamo Abramson on June 5, 1906 in South Range, Mich., she was the sixth of 11 children of Abram Kostamo Abramson and Anna Kokkenen Abramson who immigrated from Kemi, Finland in 1901. She was united in marriage to Martin Leon Kiefer in 1942, living in San Francisco and Tonopah, Nev., before settling in Minneapolis.

Anne will be best remembered as a loving, courageous wife, mother, and grandmother, who survived 40 years after the death of her loving husband, Martin, in 1962.
She was also preceded in death by a stillborn baby daughter, four sisters and five brothers.

She is survived by her two sons, Robert (Nancy) of San Clemente, Calif., their children Courtney (Guy) Batterton and great-grandsons, Kiefer, Max, and Noah Batterton of Capistrano Beach, Calif.; Reed (Jackie) Kiefer of Solana Beach, Calif.; and Tyler Kiefer of San Clemente, Calif.; and son Tom (Betsy) Kiefer of Excelsior, MN, and their children Jason (Jennifer) Kiefer and great-grandson Lucas of Manhatten Beach, Calif., Markell Kiefer of Boulder, Col., Ryan, Jamie, and Katherine Kiefer of Excelsior; and one sister, Eva Robinson of New Port Richey, Fla.; along with many loving nieces and nephews.

Anne was raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where she was the first member of her family to graduate from college with a teacher's certificate. She began her teaching career in Michigan, resuming it in Minnesota after raising her two sons.

She was once the secretary of the Minnesota Teachers Association. She will be remembered as a courageous and generous caregiver providing comfort to her own parents, sisters, and sister-in-law at the end of their lives.
Anne was proudly Finnish, as it was her first language, and as she succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease, it would also be her last.

She was an expert cook, who also enjoyed gardening, playing cards, entertaining, and was a genuine friend, abiding mother, and adoring grandmother.

Services were Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002 at Hodroff and Sons Funeral Home in Minneapolis, and she was laid to rest at Temple Israel Cemetery in Minneapolis, followed by a Shiva service at the home of Tom and Betsy Kiefer.