Anna Marie Strand

Anna Marie Strand, 88, Crystal, ND., died Sunday night, October 16, 2005, at Wedgewood Manor Nursing Home, Cavalier, ND.
Anna Marie McMerty was born to Patrick and Mary (O'Sullivan) McMerty on a farm north of Crystal on February 28, 1917. She attended Crystal School and graduated from high school in 1935. She attended the North Dakota Agriculture College in Fargo where she studied Home Economics and Physical Education. She was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority.
She married Arthur H. Strand, Milton, ND., in St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Crystal, on April 16, 1942. They lived on the family farm near Crystal. He died on August 22, 1975. She continued to live in Crystal until moving to Borg Memorial Home, Mountain, ND., and then to Wedgewood Manor.
Anna Marie was Mayor of Crystal from 1980 to 1988. She was Editor of the Cavalier Chronicle for ten years. Her weekly column, "This & That," was published in the Chronicle over a quarter of a century. She was previously employed at the Walsh County Record in Grafton, ND., for six years, and was a local correspondent for both papers for 50 years. She was honored by the North Dakota Newspaper Association for 50 years of service. She worked in the ASCS office in Cavalier, and taught school for five years in Pembina and Walsh counties.
Mrs. Strand was chairman of the Pembina and Walsh counties Women's League for several years. She was an active member and chairman of the Pembina County Democratic-NPL Women's Chapter. She was first runner-up for North Dakota Mother of the Year in 1978.
She was a member of St. Patrick's Church and Altar Society, the last living charter member of the Crystal American Legion Auxiliary, member of Friendly Homemakers Club, the Pembina County Pioneer Daughters, and the Golden Years Senior Citizens Club.
She is survived by four sons: Paul (Bonnie Molde), Anoka, MN., Robert (Candy Byron), Hazen, Thomas (Karen Mathiason), Hatton, and John, Fargo; two daughters: Mary, Bismarck, and Margaret (Craig Thorfinnson), Mountain; eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Anna Marie was preceded in death by her husband, two sons, one who died at birth and Lawrence Allen who died in 1988, her parents, a brother, Francis, and two grandchildren. She was the last surviving member of her family.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, October 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Crystal, with The Rev. Father Jason Lefor presiding. Visitation will begin at St. Patrick's Church Tuesday, October 18, 2005, at 6 p.m., followed by a prayer service at 7 p.m. Burial will be at St. Patrick's Church cemetery. Pallbearers are grandsons and grandsons-in-law. Honorary pallbearers are the Crystal High School Class of 1935, and staff at Borg Memorial Home and Wedgewood Manor.