Pearl Katherine Anderson, age 85, was born on January 16, 1924, the daughter of Knud and Petra (Oisted) Anderson, on the family farm near Shelly, Minnesota. Pearl attended Cheerful Hut country school and later graduated from Halstad (MN) High School. After graduation she moved to Los Angeles, CA, to work in the aircraft plant during the war. She came home to help her mother on the farm and then met Arvid Strand.

On January 19, 1947, Pearl was united in marriage to Arvid Strand. Their son, Larry was born on October 16, 1947. In 1953, they moved to a farm west of Ada, MN. While they farmed there, Pearl worked for Al Klug at the Red Owl Store in Ada. They moved back to Shelly in 1959. Pearl worked for Helen Eggen, in the Shelly Café and later for Alma Trandem, at the Halstad Café. Pearl also worked for Bucky Wang at the Halstad Ford Garage; and continued working there after Jim Paulsrud bought the dealership. Pearl was active in the Zion and Shelly Marsh River churches. She loved to attend church and then go out to dinner with the ladies.

Friends and family meant every thing to Pearl. She loved living at the farm; feeding the lambs and calves. She enjoyed talking and playing with her dogs, Sam and Buddy; and watching the horses in the pasture. Pearl loved to bake and was well known for her chocolate chip cookies and orange rolls. Always, Pearl had ice tea in the shop refrigerator and whenever Larry went fishing or hunting, large cans of chocolate chip cookies were packed in. Pearl was a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother. She enjoyed doing for others, especially her grandchildren. She lived in her home on the farm until moving to the Heritage House in Halstad in December of 2002. Pearl was a resident of the Halstad Living Center from September 2003, until the time of her death on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

Pearl is survived by her son, Larry and his wife Connie, of Nielsville, MN, two grandchildren, Jason Chandler, Orlando, FL, Melissa (Jim) Halvorson, Hunter, ND, one great granddaughter, Stella Halvorson, Hunter, ND, one sister, Adeline Lee, Halstad, MN, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arvid, parents, Knud and Petra, a baby sister, Violet, and brothers, Roger, Vernon, George and Melvin.

Funeral Service: 2:00PM Saturday, January 23, 2010, at Shelly Marsh River Lutheran Church. Shelly, MN.

Visitation: 5-7PM on Friday at Fredrikson Valley Funeral Home, Halstad, MN, with a 6:45PM prayer service.

Burial: Zion Lutheran Cemetery, rural Shelly, MN.