Annie Cuperus Ebbinga

It was a long journey for Annie Cuperus Ebbinga. Annie was born in the Netherlands on May 19, 1914. Her birth was just the beginning of a journey that took great courage, resolute faith, and the capacity to walk through great pain and loss.

Annie's mother died in the 1918 flu epidemic and along with her, most of the larger family support network. Annie survived the flu and spent a lifetime with antibodies to the worst flu ever to rage in the last century.

Annie and her younger brother, Burend, eventually got a new stepmother and shortly after the family immigrated to the United States. She and the whole family were admitted officially into the United States, through Ellis Island, on July 1, 1923.

The family settled into difficult living on farms in southwestern Minnesota, weathered the Great Depression, worked hard, and managed to make it in this new world.

The great event of her life was meeting and marrying Claus Ebbinga. March 7, 1938, was the great turning point. She spoke of it her whole life through in these terms, “I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”

Claus, gentle and kind, brought enormous peace and security to her life. He never would have knowingly abused her physically or emotionally.

Their years together brought three sons, Herman, Gerald and Clarence. Together they nurtured the boys in wrenches, grease and welding equipment, but set a primary goal for the boys to graduate with a college or university degree. It happened. A family gathering, if it could have happened, would have included Captain, Rev. Dr. and Lt. Col. Additions also happened. Daughters-in-law Veralyn, Crystalle, and Jo Anne brought new dimensions to the family.

Always active, Annie wrote local news for the Murray County Herald, Slayton, Minn., an occasional piece for the Worthington Daily Globe, ran a restaurant, raised and sold strawberries, cultivated roses and was even named Rose Queen of Enterprise, Ala.

She was the bookkeeper for the family business, the Ebbinga Repair Works, through all of its years in Avoca, Minn. Foster care was a focus for many years ...and Annie maintained a long term relationship with Kay, who is part of the family. (Kay also got a degree.)

Tragedy and loss came again to Annie. June of 1967 brought two air force personnel to their door in Avoca, Minn. ... they learned of the missing status and then the death of Herman in a plane crash in South Viet Nam. It was devastating. Claus never got through the loss and the family has spoken of his death, seven years later, as dying of a broken heart.

Annie, strong and adaptable, worked her way through both of those losses. She got involved politically, worked with differently-abled persons, and focused on her surviving children and grandchildren.

Annie drove her car all over North America, eventually tracking her way over a majority of the states. She also travelled to Europe, Portugal, Israel and India, took part in Elderhostel classes, read avidly and kept herself connected to friends and family. A faithful correspondent, she wrote letters until she wasn't able to write sentences with meaning.

Her family of grandchildren includes Phil, Kurtis, Spencer, Brittanee, Stewart, Lara, Jason, Kara and Scott. The ranks of great grandchildren hold Ryan, Daniel, Jacob, Kohl, Kaden, Koen, Josie, Elsa, Chase and Bailey.

The journey ended May 15, 2013, four days short of 99. The memories continue, more than a few stories will be told and retold. Have we told you she loved roses?