Anna Laura Wenger

Anna Laura (Bane) Wenger was born on Jan. 27, 1928 in Pierre, South Dakota to parents Orran Henry Bane and Laura (Holzer) Bane and passed away on Oct. 1, 2025 at Stoney Brook Village, West Union, IA. Living in South Dakota was difficult; with receiving her education as one example as for many years, Anna was the only school-age child in the school district. This resulted in her staying away from home living with friends or relatives so she could be close enough to the school. She was also home-schooled some by her mother, a certified teacher.

After the first six weeks of fourth grade, Anna and her parents, sister and brother moved to Iowa. Anna for the first time could stay at home, walk to school and get their mail every day delivered to their home! For her remaining years of grade school, she attended Oak Grove country school then graduated from Elgin High School in 1946. She then went to Paris Academy in Cedar Rapids to earn her cosmetology certificate. She was employed by Millers Beauty Shop in Oelwein for one year.

On August 1, 1948 she and the "love of her life" Eugene Wenger were married at the Illyria Community Church. Born to this union were three children, Loralee, Melinda and Brian. Anna owned and operated her home-based Beauty Shop for more than 60 years and at the time of her retirement, she was the oldest licensed beautician in the state of Iowa. Anna was devoted to "her ladies" making sure the driveway lane stayed open from blowing snow in the winter to even providing her services to them at the time of their funerals.

Anna's church was a central part of her life being a life-long member of the Illyria church physically attending church services right up to four weeks before her death. She was actively involved in Illyria Ladies Aid, Community Day as chairperson, and also served many years as a Sunday School teacher. Besides her church Anna faithfully supported her community as a member of the Friends of the Elgin Library and the Elgin Historical Society where she served many years as the secretary.

Besides raising a family, being a farm wife and operating a business, Anna still found time for pursuing other interests. Over the years, she had many hobbies including ceramics, gardening and various forms of art. Her favorite was sewing as she sewed many of her children's and grandchildren's clothes. In later years, quilting became her passion.

Anna's focus on family was proven through her adamant resolve to attend each of her grandchildren's high school graduation; often times traveling several hours and long distances to do so.

Anna was preceded in death by her husband Eugene, her parents Orran and Laura Bane, her mother and father-in-law Ed and Ina Wenger and granddaughter Elizabeth. Anna is survived by her children Loralee of Gulfport, FL; Melinda (Wenger) Petersen and her husband Morris of Goldfield, IA, and Brian and his wife Barbara of Elgin, IA; grandchildren Amy (Angelo) (Petersen) Vaccarello of West Chicago, IL; Adam (Amanda) Petersen; of Urbandale, IA; Aaron (Kali) Wenger of Elgin, IA; Landon (Susan) Wenger of Elgin, IA and Logan Wenger of Kansas City, MO. Great-grandchildren Alex and Lauren Martens of West Chicago, IL; Mason and Madison Petersen of Urbandale, IA; Broc, Aksel, Niko and Ahnika Wenger of Elgin, IA and Kane, Elise, Luca and Boone Wenger of Elgin, IA. She is also survived by her sister, Clara Mae Burchett of Dubuque, IA and her brother Orran (JoAnn) Bane of Cedar Falls, IA along with numerous nieces and nephews.