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Anita Grace Hanson was born on May 6, 1929 in King Township, rural McIntosh, Minnesota to parents Gustav (Gust) and Ida (Peterson) Hanson. She was baptized and confirmed in the United Methodist Church of Fosston. When she was a young girl, her family moved to the Heier Township farm where she grew up and lived throughout her life. She attended country school, graduated from Fosston High School in 1947, and graduated from Bemidji State Teachers' College (Bemidji State University) in 1951. She taught English at the high school in Erskine, Minnesota for one year before moving back home to the family farm in Heier Township, where she helped her father with dairy cattle and grain farming.
Anita was united in marriage to Herman Dittmer on December 27, 1962 at the United Methodist Church in Fosston. They made their home on Anita's family farm in Heier Township where she farmed with her husband and her father. In 1965, their daughter Louise was born. Anita lived at her family farm until she was hospitalized in October. Throughout her life she was dedicated to her family, home, and farm
Anita was a lifelong member of the Fosston United Methodist Church where she was an active member of the United Methodist Women and taught Friday School and Sunday School. Anita was a longtime member of the Minnesota General Federation of Women's Club and its Fosston chapter, the Athenian Club. Anita's love of reading was shared through her involvement with the General Federation of Women's Club bookstudy program. Anita was an avid gardener, landscaping her family farm and tending her orchard, vegetable, and flower gardens, including her beloved rose garden from which she regularly brought rose bouquets to church services. Throughout her life Anita enjoyed riding horseback and rode until just last year. Most recently she acquired a race horse and became involved in horse racing. Traveling was another of Anita's passions, especially visiting England, where she made 10 trips, the last trip spring of this year. Throughout her life she traveled extensively throughout the United States, as well as visiting Europe and Mexico.
On Tuesday, November 16, 2004 Anita Grace Dittmer passed away at Innovis Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota at the age of 75 years.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Louise (Roland) Hall of Sabin, Minnesota; three step children, Duane Dittmer of Billings, MT, Angela Dittmer of Hanapepe, Kauai, HI, and Loretta (Jim) Olson of Twin Valley, MN; 10 step grandchildren; six step great grandchildren; and one half sister, Lynn Cardinal and her husband Bob Sanderson of Minot, ND. She was preceded in death by her parents; one step son, Dennis Dittmer.
Anita was a loving and faithful daughter, wife, and mother who devoted her life to her family. Words cannot express how much she will be missed but she lives on in the hearts of those she touched.