MASON

Anna, being one of God's most beautiful rays of sunshine, made her final journey Feb. 11, 2006. She always had a smile on her face for everyone she met, whether she knew them or not. She ended her time here living at Cottesmore Life Center, getting to stay with her sister, just the way they were together for most of their lives. She would have been 86 years old Feb. 12 and had been ill with Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

Born Feb. 12, 1920, at Carbury, N.D., to Axel and Helga Holdaas, she was raised on the family farm where the Carbury Dam is now located. She graduated from high school in Carbury in 1938.

She left for Yakima in the early 40s with her older brother Mel and her sister Helen. She worked as a field laborer in various crop fields where she met her husband, Rueben Raab. They were married in 1943 in White Center, and had two daughters, Marilyn and Linda.

In the late 40s, Anna moved back to her parents’ farm in North Dakota with her daughters, and then once again moved back to Seattle in 1953. She lived in South Seattle with her sister and daughters, working as a rivet bucker for the Boeing Company for many years.

In 1958 she moved to Burien and in 1960 she started working for the Burien Post Office, finally retiring from there in 1980. She remarried in 1975 to a co-worker, Glen Mason, who has since passed.

There were many large family gatherings where Anna and Helen did most of the cooking of absolutely wonderful dinners, never sitting down to eat until everyone else had almost finished. That great Norwegian upbringing.

She was especially loved by her sons-in-law, being that perfect mother-in-law. Anna loved traveling with her husband, and also her sister and her husband, making frequent trips to North Dakota and Reno among the favorites. There were also many weekends spent going to garage sales, also with her sister and husband.

She was member of Glendale Lutheran Church in Burien for about 40 years.

Surviving are two daughters, Marilyn Snyder and her husband, Corry, Linda Gutenberg and her husband, John; brothers Melvin Holdaas of Spokane, and Arthur Holdaas of Port Orchard; sister Helen Henne, living at Cottesmore in Gig Harbor; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A funeral service was held Feb. 17, 2006, at Bonney-Watson Parker Chapel with Anna's nephew, the Rev. Peter Holdaas, officiating.

Please sign the online guest memorial book at www.bonneywatson.com.