Anna Borlaug Obituary

Anna Marie Borlaug age 103 of New Hampton died Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at New Hampton Nursing and Rehab.
Funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 14, 2025 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in New Hampton with Rev. Peter Faugstad presiding. Interment will follow at New Hampton City Cemetery.
Friends may greet the family an hour prior to the service on Friday at the church.
Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory have been entrusted with Anna's arrangements.
Ann (Anna Marie Hereid) Borlaug was born at home on October 17, 1921, in rural Chickasaw County, the first daughter of Ingvald and Clara (Johnson) Hereid. She was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Saude, Iowa. For 103 years she lived a vibrant, independent, and giving life dedicated to her family, her church, and her community.
Being the eldest daughter, it fell to Ann to help her mother to maintain the house and raise the growing family. In 1944 Ann married Art Borlaug, a neighbor from up the road, shortly after he enlisted in the Army to fight in World War II. Before Art shipped overseas, Ann was able to join him for several months in New York and Georgia where the two made lifelong friends. When Art returned from Germany, the two moved in with Art's family until their first child, Gary, was born. In 1947, they purchased a home on Washington Street where Ann lived for the rest of her life. Their daughter, Nancy, was born two years later, and Ann remained a hard-working, supportive, encouraging stay-at-home Mom until the kids were grown. Ann's church was always an extremely important part of her life, and she saw to it that her family attended every Sunday and took part in every church event. When Gary and Nancy went off to college, Ann found part-time employment outside the home, working for many years at Wessel's Jewelry and continuing when it became Wilshire's Jewelry. She filled other hours with baking (especially ginger cookies and sour cream raisin pie), coffee with friends, refinishing furniture, needle work, reading, flower gardening, traveling with Art, and shopping for just the right outfit. Ann and Art celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary in 2016. At the end of that year, Art passed away at the age of 98. Family remained central to Ann's life as long as she lived. As the family grew with spouses, then grandchildren, then their spouses, then great grandchildren, Ann continued to be involved with all and remember every birthday with a card.
Ann is survived by her children: Gary (Anne) Borlaug of Indianola and Nancy (Kevin) Clefisch of Garnavillo – her grandchildren: Eric (Kari) Borlaug of Indianola, Sarah Borlaug of Des Moines, James (Lindsey) Borlaug of Ankeny, Ellen (Joel) Zawacki of Indianapolis, John (Amy) Clefisch of Ely, Elizabeth (Jordan) Hanrahan of Iowa City – and her great-grandchildren: Katelyn, Andrew, Madison, Nathan, Evelyn, Nolyn, Gracie, Jack, Ethan, Will, and Eloise – her sisters: Ada Engstrom of Chaska, MN; Orreann Hereid of Edina, MN – her brother, Paul (Lucy) Hereid of New Hampton, IA – her brother-in-law, Allen (Luann) Borlaug of Saude, IA – her sister-in-law, Carol Bruch of Marion, IA – and many loving nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; her parents, Ingvald and Clara Hereid; and her brothers, Carlton Hereid, Oliver (Don) Hereid, Merle Hereid, and Lowell (Pete) Hereid.