Anne (Nelson) George

Anne George (Nelson), 64, of Palisade, MN, passed away peacefully with her family lovingly by her side at 10:46 p.m. on September 27, 2023 after a courageous battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  Anne was born on November 6, 1958 to Scott and Marjorie Nelson in Mankato, MN. After Anne graduated from Mankato West High School in 1977, she went on to study Hotel Restaurant Management at UW Stout where she met her loving husband, Tom.  In 1979, Tom and Anne were married in Mankato, MN. Tom and Anne went on to have four children, Chris, Ryan, Alyssa, and Megan. Anne was so proud of her children, and they were always her number one priority. She was a constant source of love and support to her family. After her children were all in Elementary school, Anne returned to school to earn her Bachelor’s Degree at St. Cloud State University. She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Education at Saint Mary’s University, and later earned her administrative license. Anne worked as an elementary school teacher and instructional coach for more than 15 years in the Anoka Hennepin School District. She had a very strong passion for education and made a tremendous impact on her students and peers. In 2004 Anne and Tom completed their dream - their log home in the lot next to Anne’s parents on Round Lake - where Anne spent nearly every summer growing up. They loved and cherished their time at the lake and made that their permanent home in 2020. In 2018 Anne retired from a long career in education and took many wonderful trips to Alaska, Nova Scotia, Italy, Anna Maria Island in Florida, Maine, and Arizona. She devoted so much of her time to her nine grandchildren. She will become a Grandma again in November when her 10th grandchild is born. We know she will be his angel and with him every day.  Anne loved to golf, play pickleball, cook amazing meals, plan trips and events, attend bible study, lounge on the dock, take pontoon rides, and especially spend time with her family and friends. She will be missed by so many. Her spirit was infectious. She was a numbers person, often counting the number of things (m&ms, cards, etc.) to fit into what made sense. We believe she chose 10:46 to embody 10 grandchildren, 4 children, and 6 people in her family.

Anne was preceded in death by her mother and father Marjorie and Scott Nelson, mother and father-in-law Marion and John George, brother–in-law Bruce, sister-in-law Trudy, and nieces Justine and Hannah Nelson.

She is survived by her loving husband Tom, her son Chris (Alicia) and their children, Conner and Claire, her son Ryan (Jessica) and their children, Adeline, Emma, and Ava, her daughter Alyssa Meier (Peter) and their children, Owen, Jace, and Finley, her daughter Megan Follick (Brian) and their children, Jude and baby-to-be, her siblings Julie Eldridge (Ron) and their children Jennifer (Brandon), Stephanie (Matt), and Amanda (Gus), Dave Nelson (Jane) and their children Josh and Laura, Amy Brisson (Jeremy) and their children Alec, Jack (Jana), Joe, and Isabel.

A Celebration of Life will be held on October, 12 at 11 a.m. at Northwoods Church at 810 2nd Street, Aitkin, MN. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service at the church.  To sign the guestbook online, go to: www.srtfuneral.com. 

Anne’s favorite season was fall, so if you are joining us, please dress in fall colors to fill the space with the beauty of the season.  At a later date, a memorial reception will be held in the Twin Cities. We will communicate more details in the near future.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Hope Lodge in Minneapolis or the American Cancer Society. Memorials are not always monetary, so we encourage you to volunteer your time at a local school, mentoring a child, or reading with a child in Anne’s memory. Anne loved nothing more than teaching and helping children realize their potential.

Arrangements are with Sorensen-Root-Thompson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Aitkin.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Anne (Nelson) George, please visit our floral store.