Anna Marie Dufner

Ann Dufner passed away on August 24, 2023 at the Glendive Medical Center Hospital. She was 88. Visitation will be held from 6:00 – 8: 00 pm on Friday, September 1 at the Silha Funeral Home in Glendive. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am Saturday, September 2 at Sacred Heart Church in Glendive, with Father Francis Schreiber officiating. Interment will follow in the Dawson Memorial Cemetery in Glendive. Silha Funeral Home of Glendive has been entrusted with the arrangements. Anna Marie Hanssen was born on May 15, 1935 in Scotch Grove, a one-block farm town in eastern Iowa. Her father Henry Hanssen had immigrated from Germany in the 1920’s and her mother Martha (Anna Martha Eggers) had moved to Iowa from her Idaho birthplace after the death of her mother in 1921. Ann was Henry and Martha’s second child after Ann’s sister Dorothy; four brothers – Richard, Albert, Ben, and Bob – followed Ann. Ann grew up on the family farm milking cows, tending chickens, and helping with the garden. She walked to country school every day until high school, when she started taking the bus into nearby Monticello. Her football player boyfriend drove to Scotch Grove to drive her to school one morning after Ann milked the cows. He gallantly offered to carry the full milk buckets over to the cream separator, bent over and… couldn’t lift them. Ann grabbed the buckets and took care of business. After graduating with Monticello High School’s class of 1953, Ann moved to Cedar Rapids to attend St. Luke’s School of Nursing. She had wanted to be a nurse since she was little, inspired by her aunt Gertrude, a WWII nurse in the south Pacific. In 1956, Ann graduated from St. Luke’s as a fully-credentialed registered nurse. Ann wanted to move beyond Iowa and saw an ad recruiting nurses for the Northern Pacific Railroad Hospital in Glendive Montana. She talked her high-school and nursing-school friend Janis Pickett (Pierce) into taking the jobs and moving to the wilds of Montana. After all, she argued, one of the benefits was free train travel – they could always return home. So Ann started her nursing career in Glendive, along with a crew of other young nurses. Her eventual sister-in-law Marge Reynolds said Ann “was the most beautiful nurse we ever had in Glendive.” During that time, Ann met Leroy Dufner while out dancing at Jack’s Club. They became a couple and were married in 1958, traveling to the Black Hills for their honeymoon. Leroy was starting the Dufner’s Dairy business with his dad and brothers, and they had just bought their house on Mann Street, so money was tight; Ann’s nursing work and Leroy’s moonlighting as a bartender at the Elks Club supported them through those early tough years. Four kids filled out the family: Michael, Michelle, Dan, and Scott. Leroy’s business ventures with his brothers expanded to Duff’s Racquetball Club and the Jock Stop. Ann continued her nursing career, eventually becoming director of nursing at the Glendive nursing home. Her friend Maxine Vorhees was director of nursing at the hospital, and they would go on marathon walks together, ending at the Jordan for breakfast. She had many other lasting friendships from her nursing career, including with Cindi Srsen, who Ann hired as the nursing home’s first activities director. Ann and Leroy enjoyed spending time with family, golfing, and bowling and were active members of the community. After she retired, Ann continued to be involved in the Catholic Church, and various social clubs including homemakers and nurses clubs. Ann was funny, kind, generous, a great wife, friend, and mother, and was extremely well-respected. Everyone was welcomed equally at her table; no one ever had a bad word to say about Ann. After 55 years of marriage, Leroy died in 2013. Ann continued to live at home with the loving assistance of Dona Culver, Teresa Hathaway, and Bobbie Becker. They helped make it a gathering place of joy and laughter, getting together regularly for dinner parties. Ann was preceded in death by her loving husband Leroy; her parents Henry and Martha Hanssen, parents-in-law Matt and Mary Dufner; siblings and in-laws: Dorothy and Ken Weber, Richard, Joyce (Al), Bob and Carol (Ponder); Dufner in-laws: Rose Marie (Toots) and Hartwick (Pete) Peterson, Floyd and Carolyn, Jack and Marge Reynolds, Dave Quale (Marian), Jim, Annette (Paul); daughter-in-law Catherine Bickle (Michael), former son-in-law Tim Kinsey (Michelle), grandson Brad Kinsey; nieces and nephews Susan Dufner, Bob Reynolds, Randy Reynolds, Karen Dufner, Brenda Quale, Bill Reynolds. Ann is survived by children Michael, Michelle Kinsey (Randy Wilkie), Dan (Brenda) and Scott (Kim Ryan); grandchildren Jason Kinsey, Dylan, Blake, Sydney, and Zoe; great-grandchildren Beckham, Breyer and Baize Kinsey, Aurora, Roper and Jayzen Kinsey, and Henry Dufner; brothers Albert and Ben Hanssen, sisters-in-law Arlene (Richard) and Sharon (Ben) Hanssen ; Dufner in-laws Marian Quale, Marvin and Marilyn Dufner, Nicki (Jim) Dufner, Paul Dufner, and Pat and Walt Easly; and numerous loving nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. Remembrances and condolences can be shared with the family at: www.silhafuneralhomes.com.

Anna Marie Dufner

May 15, 1935 - August 24, 2023

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Anna Marie Dufner

May 15, 1935 - August 24, 2023

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

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About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

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