Elsa Nellie Anderson

MALTA- Elsa Nellie Anderson, age 91, died December 4, 2016, at the St. John's Garden Court Community in Billings, Mont., due to natural causes.

The family received friends at 7 p.m., Tuesday, December 6, at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Funeral services were 11 a.m.., Wednesday December 7, at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Interment was in the Malta Cemetery. Condolences for the family may be left at http://www.kirkwoodfuneralhome.com.

Elsa N. Anderson was born April 2, 1925, to William T. and Ellen M. Black at their homestead site approximately eight miles south of Malta. Elsa attended school in Malta and was a graduate of Malta High School. In 1955 Elsa married Lorenzo (Andy) Anderson. Out of this marriage Elsa and Lorenzo had three children, Ellen Marie, Bernell, and Thora.

Elsa was a life-time resident of Malta and worked at various jobs in her earlier years. She worked at Pete's Grocery, where she learned to cut meat like a pro. In addition, she was employed many years at the Maltana Motel. She was a member of the Malta Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the Malta Dirt Daubers garden club which included serving as the garden club president.

Elsa was a typical Norwegian and loved to cook all of the Norwegian foods which included anything from krumkake to lutefisk. Elsa volunteered for several years at the Good Samaritan Retirement Home in Malta and helped cook many batches of lefsa for the residents there. She took great pride in making lefsa and was quite proficient at it. She learned the art of making wagon wheel rugs from her mother and made many of them in addition to enjoying knitting and sewing. Elsa was also an avid bird watcher and spent many hours watching the bird feeder she had on her window at her home regardless of where her home was later in life. Elsa kept busy with many hobbies, but her greatest love and interest was for her children and grandchildren. Elsa once wrote it is important to enjoy every minute you can spend with your grandchildren.

Elsa fought a courageous battle with dementia and tried to the best of her ability to accept that which she could not change. She felt it was important to try to do your best at whatever you were facing and she lived by that rule.

Elsa is preceded in death by her husband, Lorenzo Anderson, daughter Frances M. Webb, grandson Thomas S. Webb, great grandsons Duane T. Webb and Thomas J. Knudsen.

Elsa is survived by her brother William (Cathy) Black of the family homestead, her daughter Ellen M. (Tom) Livers of Helena, Mont., son Bernell (Terry) Anderson of Billings, Mont., and daughter Thora (Fritz) Prellwitz of Malta, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

A special expression of appreciation goes out to Elsa's City Hall walking partners for many years, Jackie and Grace.