Obituary of Anna Margrete Naess

Mrs. Anna Margrete Naess of Canajoharie, New York, went to be with her Lord on Monday, July 7, 2014 at home surrounded by her family. She was born June 19, 1916 in Lista, Norway and was the daughter of Johan Alfred Olsen Vaagsvold and Henriette (Johannessen). She graduated from Oslo Municipal Hospital School of Nursing in Norway in 1942. During World War II she helped Jews escape out of Norway at great risk. She returned to her home town and worked as a Community Health Nurse and used a bicycle as her only means of transportation. In 1948, she emigrated to the United States and was employed as a nurse in Samaritan Hospital, Brooklyn. She went on to work as a private duty nurse. In 1954, her desire to see the Panama Canal led her to find employment on the M.S. Ragnhild Brovig. It was bound for Panama and Cuba to transport bananas back to the States. Anna married her husband, William Naess in 1955. He predeceased her in 1966. In 1958, she and her husband moved to Staten Island where she was a West Brighton resident for 51 years. She moved upstate in 2009. Anna was a woman of great faith, raising her three children alone after the death of her husband. She showed her love for her family, friends and others by her warm hospitality and through her cooking and baking. She enjoyed music and played the piano, guitar and mandolin at the First Evangelical Free Church in Brooklyn. She was also active in Salem Evangelical Free Church in Staten Island. Her hobbies included gardening and crocheting. She attended college lectures into her seventies. Anna is survived by her children, Anita Meibauer and her husband, Stephen of Canajoharie, NY, Dori Oskam and her husband, Rick of Walden, NY, Gordon Naess and his wife, Inger of Middleburgh, NY; 11 grandchidren, Rachel Meibauer, Erika (Damian) Metcalf, William E. Meibauer, Katie Oskam, Jennifer Oskam, Lauren Oskam, Keren Oskam, Krista Oskam, Kelsey Naess, Caleb Naess and Micah Naess. Anna was also predeceased by her brothers, Josef Vagsvoll, Ole Johan Vaagsvold; sister, Gjertrud Vaagsvold; and foster sister, Amalia Olufsen. Friends will be received on Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home, Inc., 20 Otsego Street, Canajoharie, NY from 10-11 am. A funeral service at 11 am with be officiated by Pastor Joshua Fetterhoff. Burial will be at Canajoharie Falls Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Samaritan's Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000.