Anna Iszler

At 98 years of age, Anna (Wurtele) Iszler , a long-time Steele resident , went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 17, 2012. A celebration of her life will be held on Thursday, August 23, at 2:00 pm at the Steele United Methodist Church, with Rev. Thom Bowsher officiating. Burial will be at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Steele. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Wednesday, August 22, at the Eastgate-Steele Memorial Chapel in Steele, ND. In lieu of a family service on Wednesday, Anna's family will be receiving guests after the burial on Thursday afternoon at the church. Anna Wurtele was born June 21, 1914, to Eva (Mittleider) and William Wurtele on the family farm 7 1/2 miles northwest of Streeter, North Dakota. She was the second oldest in a family of six girls and two boys. She attended a country school nearby and after graduating from the eighth grade, she spent the next few years helping her parents and the surrounding neighbors with the various chores that needed to be done. On July 3, 1933, Anna married Gustav Iszler and for the next three years they lived with different family members helping with whatever work needed to be done. After the birth of their first child, Anna was tired of constantly moving from one family to the next. So in October of 1936, the family moved to Steele where Gus worked on various WPA projects. To help support the family, Anna did child care and housekeeping for others. Three children -- Byron, Virgil, and Carol -- were born to this union. When the youngest child started school, Anna began working in various restaurants as a baker and cook. Eventually, she started working as a cook at the Steele School a position she held for 30 plus years. Before macular degeneration robbed her of her eyesight, Anna enjoyed working on crafts, particularly beading, crocheting, and quilting. She was an excellent seamstress and made not only many of her family's clothes, but sewed for others as well. Anna also loved traveling, cooking, baking, and visiting with family and friends. Anna had a strong abiding love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and was looking forward to meeting Him face-to-face. She had a generous spirit always ready to share whatever she had with others. Although her education was cut-short, she was a woman of great wisdom and determination. Anna loved to laugh, had a great sense of humor, and a positive outlook on life regardless of the circumstances that might come her way. Anna was an inspiration to others. Left with many wonderful memories and a desire to follow in her footsteps are her daughter Carol Johnson and her husband Merle, Steele; two daughters-in-law, Anne Iszler of Arvada, CO, and Pearl Iszler of Houston, TX; and four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren: Kevin (Tracey) Iszler of Arvada, CO, and their children Tyler, Kaylynn, Anna and Tegan; Darren Seay of Wishek and sons Alex and Nick ; Dawn Seay-Hopkins of Steele, and Candy (Jon) Leatherwood and son Dillon of Katy, TX. Other survivors include three sisters, Polly Hoffer of Steele, Edna Jones of Lockwood, CA, and Laura McCreery of Galt, CA; one brother, Ron Wurtele of Sacramento, CA; plus many nieces and nephews. Anna was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Gus in 1973; her sons, Virgil in 1996, and Byron in 2009; her siblings, Otto Wurtele, Emma Strand, and Frieda Weber; and two sons-in-law, John Seay and Edward Johnson. The family wants to thank the community of Steele for resurrecting the Golden Manor so Anna could spend her last years in the hometown she loved and where she was close to family and friends. She truly considered Golden Manor her home and the residents and staff her extended family. A heartfelt thanks goes out to the Golden Manor staff (her angels here on earth as she called them) for their excellent and loving care of Anna. Also, a special thanks to St. Alexius Hospice Care for making it possible for Anna to remain at the Manor until the end of her final days here on earth as was her wish. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Golden Manor Basic Care Center, the Steele United Methodist Church, or the charity of your choice.