Kristin Ann Working Anderson
1961-1996
by Dorothy Anderson

To introduce anyone to The Bulletin readers it is necessary to establish just who this person is -- so let me first tell you just how Kristin came to be a part of our family.

I first met Kristin when she came through the door into my reading room with a group of very personable 6th grade reading students in 1972. She was a pretty blonde who was a little shy, as this was all new to her. She had just moved into the district and knew nobody.

It did not take her long to meet and gain lots of new friends. She was an exceptionally likeable girl with a friendly personality. I didn't know at the time that I had gained a lifetime friend, but I did realize I had met a wonderful group of students that year and that she was one of the best!

The year she was in my 6th grade the "beeps" were in Cokato school -- as we were living in the country ... so for that year I was the only one of our family who knew Kristin. But it was four years later, in 1976, that some of the other Andersons met her. That year our family moved into our newly purchased home in Howard Lake. Doug was a 7th grader, Patty was a freshman and Marlene was a sophomore -- the same as Kristin. And so she met us again: now that she knew "Mrs. Anderson" and her three youngest children, it could only follow that she would meet the rest of us... I guess you can see where this is all leading.

On August 4th of 1979, in a lawn wedding at the Working's country home, Don and Kristin were married and Kristin Working became an Anderson.

The next part of any introduction should include some work and play details. Let me tell you first about the work Kristin did. After she was married, she attended the Lakeland Medical and Dental Academy. She chose to become a Lab Technician. She graduated from there in the spring of 1981. For the next three years or so she worked in the Children's Clinic of Wayzata. It was rather a family venture. Her sister-in-law, Marlene (Anderson) Johnson worked in the same office as a receptionist. And to have Eric nearby, she placed him in the pre-school run by that clinic. After Lexie was born, Kristin took time off from that type of work. She had a day care for a bit, she assisted her dad with his painting jobs, and for a while she did lab work part time. Her last five years she was a Medical Assistant to Dr. Hurt at the Edina Family Physicians' Clinic.

Of course her work included making a home for the family. After the arrival of Eric, and then Lexie, the apartment living got a little crowded and Kristin and Don began to shop for a house.

The one they chose was in a community under construction in Maple Grove, Minnesota. To make it affordable they arranged for "sweat equity" as a part of the down payment. That meant lots of work for them, but they were young and willing and able to do that. They needed to do all of the painting. Thanks to help from the Workings (who did that type of work for a living), the painting, inside and out, was done with a professional touch. Over the next few years it was an ongoing task to finish the lowest level, and to decorate the interior.

One of the most striking things about the finished home was its landscaping. Both Don and Kristin had green thumbs. The shrubbery and flower beds, the added deck, and the beautiful trees provided the touches that made a house into a home.

Of course not all of their spare time from their jobs was spent working -- not with this very active family. They were both family people and liked to have a part in all the "occasions" of their family as a whole. And so they did lots of things with her parents and with our family and even occasionally with a combination of the two. Their summer vacations were often spent on family camping trips, fishing, swimming, and traveling to new areas. Kristin's favorite winter sport was cross-country skiing, but she did go snowmobiling. (Donnie assures me that her snowmobiling was to please the guys in her family.)

Kristin & Don, 1995, left; at Christmas, right.

To finish up this introduction, why don't I tell you about a typical summer gathering at Donnie and Kristin's house:

Grandpa and I arrive early, as we always do, and try to be a help, but mostly we just "hang out" with the grandkids ... after all, we have to catch up on the doings of the tribe. Donnie is busy grilling a turkey or ham (or maybe both) and Kristin is putting the finishing touches to a delicious looking dessert. As each of the other families arrives and puts their contribution for dinner in the oven or the refrigerator, the kids begin begging to go swimming in the pool that is close enough to be as convenient as a private one. The main problem is they can't be allowed there until they have supervision. So they will have to find some willing grown-up to come along and serve as life guard.

Soon everybody has arrived and gotten involved in the various activities. Another grand day is in full swing! A lovely day with everyone talking, eating, playing games, swimming, and relaxing -- but it is soon over and time to go home. So life is lived and enjoyed ... and the family has another set of loving memories stored for the future.

Kristin and Lexie in 1990, left; Kristin in 1982, center; Kristin & Don with Lexie and Eric at their home in Maple Grove in 1992, right.