The Life of VIRGINIA ELLEN ANDERSON TESDELL
Virginia Anderson Tesdell, 87, passed away August 7, 2012, at Iowa Lutheran Hospital after a long battle with liver disease. She was born September 19, 1924, to Charles and Marie Schuling. She graduated from East High School.
Virginia was preceded in death by her sister, Alene (Al) Koontz of Council Bluffs; brother, Richard (Dorraine) Schuling of Altoona; and husbands, LeRoy Anderson and Edward Tesdell.
She is survived by her brother, Ralph (Mary) Schuling of Huxley; sister, Sharon Orlins of Muscatine; children, Peggy (Virgil) Maxwell of Urbandale, Gary (Ginger) Palmer of Altoona, Steven (Jean Davidson) Palmer of Urbandale, and Debra (Terry) Norton of Altoona; ten grandchildren, Rob (Stacy) Walker of Johnston, Drake (Stacy) Walker of Kansas City, Tony (Denise Timmins) Palmer of Altoona, Wendy (Bill) Murphy of Chicago, Amanda (Kyle) Mertz of Altoona, Alex Norton, Tyler Palmer, Chelsea Palmer, Chris Norton, and Katie Norton of Altoona; nine great-grandchildren, Hailey, Zach, and Emily Walker of Johnston, Ian and Atticus Palmer of Altoona, Sophie and Madilyn Murphy of Chicago, Palmer Mertz of Altoona, and Anthony Walker of Kansas City; step-children, Lee (Pat) Anderson of Altoona, and Audrey Parks of California; and eight step-grandchildren.
Virginia was employed with Polk County for many years, and helped her husband, LeRoy with the management of their farming operation, and later a manufactured housing park in Altoona that they built and co-owned. She co-owned a Ladies Clothing store in Altoona with a dear friend. She was an enthusiastic volunteer at Prairie Meadows at its initial startup. She was a long time volunteer at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, and participated in many other community and political activities. She loved playing bridge or any other card games, loved traveling with good friends, many family trips, socializing with friends, playing slots, and hanging out with her children and grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Bondurant Christian Church, Bondurant, Iowa, or SCI CAN Foundation (a spinal cord injury foundation her grandson Chris Norton set up to help others with spinal cord injuries such as his).
Visitation will be Friday, August 10, 2012, at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center (Meadows Entrance) from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral service will be at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona on Saturday, August 11, 2012, at 10 a.m., with burial following at Highland Memory Gardens.>>