Anne L. Elton

Anne Lynor Parent was born on May 17, 1945, in Ortonville, MN, to Theodore and Sophia (Anderson) Parent. Her parents met while serving their country, she as an Army nurse and he as a Navy shipman. Her older brother, Theodore (“Butch”), was born while they were living in Rhode Island in 1944. They later moved to Ortonville, where they welcomed Anne. She was baptized by her great-uncle, traveling pastor Aaron LaCombe, at the farm of Walter and Olive LaCombe.

Her father left when she was very young, and Anne was raised by her mother and grandmother, Lydia (LaCombe) Anderson. Anne grew up working at the hotel owned by Leonard and Amy Thrall, who took her under their wing.

She graduated from Ortonville High School in 1963 and went on to attend nursing school. in Wahpeton. She then moved to Fargo and began working at St. Luke’s Hospital, in its first Intensive Care Unit with only two beds.

In 1965, Anne was set up on a blind date with Larry Elton by her friend Alice, whose boyfriend Ed worked with Larry at the North Dakota Highway Department. Ed and Larry, both military veterans, were close friends. Larry invited Anne to a rodeo—something she’d never heard of—for their first date, and their second was the 1965 Hawley Rodeo. After dating for a year, they were married on July 16, 1966, at Anne’s church in Ortonville.

They made their home in Fargo, and their son, Norman David, was born in 1967. In 1971, they were invited by Larry’s uncle George Schoenberger and his wife Olga to a Valentine’s Day card party at the Hawley Community Building. There, they met their first Hawley friends: Keith and Kay Larson, Lloyd and Janice Alm, Sadie Olsen, and Shirley and Daryl Puhalla.

In 1972, they moved to the family farm north of Hawley. Their daughter, Sarah Anne, was due in March 1974 but was born on January 4 and tragically never took a breath. Their daughter, Amy Jo, was born in July 1975—just in time for the Hawley Rodeo, which Larry chaired that year.

Anne demonstrated life-long dedication to her community. In 1977 she was co-founder and served as the first president of the Hawley Emergency Response Team (H.E.R.T.). She taught CPR and CPR Instructor Training. Anne and Larry were devoted members of Hawley Lutheran Church, where she was active in Bible study, circle, Ladies Aid, and also taught Sunday School.They were also active members of the Hawley Golden Riders Riding Club, Stablemates 4-H, and the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (WMSTR) in Rollag, MN, and Anne was involved with her Homemakers group.

Anne began working at Hawley Manor in the fall of 1972. When Amy started kindergarten in 1980, Anne began working at Sunnyside Nursing Home, where she remained until medically retiring in 2001 due to her diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and ongoing symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

In April 2021, due to Larry’s declining health, the couple moved to Hawley Senior Living. Larry passed away in May 2021. Anne remained active in her new home—playing BINGO, organizing Super Bowl and weekly football parties—and lived there until her passing Sunday April 13th, 2025.

She was preceded in death by her mother, father, brother, infant daughter Sarah, and beloved husband Larry. She is survived by her son, David (Jen) Elton, and daughter, Amy (Ryan) Anderson; loving grandchildren Olivia, Claire, Ethan, and Abby; and one precious great-grandson, Soren.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 6-7 p.m. with a prayer service beginning at 7 p.m. at Hawley Lutheran Church, Hawley, MN.

Visitation will continue Friday, April 25, from 10-11 a.m. followed by the memorial service at 11 a.m. at Hawley Lutheran Church. 

Burial will be in Hawley Cemetery.