Joan Anderson

1929 - 2016

Joan Martia Haaland Phillips Anderson

Swan Lake —Joan Anderson, formerly Joan Haaland Phillips, passed away Thursday, July 21, 2016 at Benefis Peace Hospice in Great Falls, Montana. Joan was born on September 18, 1929 in Havre, MT, the first of eight children to be born in a hospital. Joan was raised on the family homestead north of Inverness, MT. She attended elementary school in Inverness, and spent her summers working on the farm with her father and brothers. In 1942, the family moved to Havre, where Joan attended Havre High School. In 1946, Joan spent a year with family in Seattle and graduated from Ballard High School. After graduation Joan returned to Montana and worked as a sales clerk in the record department at Butterey's in Havre. Joan met Frank Phillips in 1947 and they were married in Havre in 1948. Frank and Joan resided in Rudyard and spent the next 40 years farming and raising a family of five children.

Joan was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who meant the world to her family. She valued family and friendships, and always made sure that she supported them through all of life's events. She helped Frank with every aspect of farming and she was known for her great cooking and baking skills, always having a batch of homemade bread of cinnamon rolls on hand, and the meals that she hauled to the field during harvest were extraordinary!

Frank and Joan were founding members of the Rudyard Saddle Club, participating in rodeos and parades in the area. Joan volunteered at school events and at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Rudyard, committing herself to her children for many years. They also enjoyed snowmobiling and bowling.

In 1970, Frank and Joan purchased a cabin on Swan Lake and they would spend their summers on the lake boating and waterskiing with their children, friends and family. Joan waterskied at Swan Lake until she was 73!

After Frank died in 1984, Joan became reacquainted with Robert "Bob" Anderson at their 40th class reunion in Havre. They were married in 1989 and moved to Swan Lake permanently. After Bob's passing in 2004, Joan remained at her beloved Swan Lake home, enjoying visits from family and friends, feeding her birds and mowing her oversized yard. She loved to be active and outdoors.

Joan is survived by her loving family, sons, Jan (Dana) Phillips of Inverness, MT, Kane (Sherrie) Phillips of Bellevue, WA; daughters, Martia (Darrell) Swanson of Lancaster, MA, Dana Eliason of Sunnyside, WA, Rhonda Ritter of Stanford, MT; stepchildren, Debi (Greg) Bork of Bigfork, MT, Mike (Rita) Anderson of Maple Grove, MN, Tammy (Ron) Wienke of Bayfield, WI, Karen (Scott) Mayer of Paynesville, MN; sister, Norma Engleson; brothers, Sterling Haaland and Wilbur Haaland; 9 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; 13 step-grandchildren; and 12 step-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her father, Ragnvald Haaland in 1961; her mother Emelia Peterson Haaland in 1981; her husbands, Frank Leo Phillips in 1984 and Robert Oden Anderson in 2004; her brothers, Carston, Roald and Milton Haaland; and her sister, Gertrude Grinde.

A Memorial Service will be held in Joan's honor on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 1:30 PM at Swan Chapel, 22376 MT Hwy 83, Swan Lake, MT. The Memorial Service will be broadcast via Skype, and a gathering will be held at the same time at the Grandview at Benefis, for those who cannot attend at the Swan Lake location.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to Swan Lake Fire and Rescue, PO Box 5134 Swan Lake, MT 59911, or a charity of your choice.

Condolences may be shared at www.croxfordfuneralhome.com