Anna Marie Spears

Anna Marie Spears, 80, of Red Lake, MN, entered into rest Sunday, February 5, 2012 at the Jourdain-Perpich Extended Care Center in Red Lake, after a tough battle with medical conditions. Funeral Services will be 1:00 pm Thursday, February 9, 2012 at the St. Mary’s Mission Catholic Church in Red Lake, MN with Father Jerry Rogers officiating. A wake will begin 1:00pm, Tuesday, February 7, 2012, at the Little Rock Community Center in Red Lake, and will continue until the time of the service. Interment will be at the St. Mary’s Mission Catholic Cemetery in Red Lake, MN under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji.

She was born on September 8, 1931, in Red Lake, MN, the daughter of Simon Spears and Margaret Stone. She was raised and educated in Red Lake, graduating from Red Lake High School. She continued her education in Nursing, she received her LPN license in Detroit Lakes, MN. Anna worked many jobs and retired as an LPN. She currently was serving on the Red Lake Tribal Enrollment Committee, Foster Grand Parent Program, and served as the Resident Board spokesperson for Jourdain-Perpich Extended Care where she resided. Her many jobs included being an Ojibwe teacher at the Red Lake Headstart, Forestry, a nurse at the Good Samaritan Center, Red Lake Nursing Home, and at the Little Rock Health Station. She was also a member of the VFW Ladies Auxillary. Anna was an avid sports fan following the Warriors teams, and her son’s softball games. She enjoyed going to the casino’s, playing bingo, visiting her kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews. She was a very giving person, loving, and always had comical stories to tell. She enjoyed serving on the enrollment committee, and teaching the Ojibwe language to HeadStart kids, who called her “Grandma.” She enjoyed musical concerts and frequented Charlie Pride shows. Anna recently had her fifth generation born, welcoming Isaiah Jacob Lee Lajunesse into her family. She is survived by: Children, Harlow Spears, Delwyn “Dosh” (Charlene) Spears, Candy (Clyde) Spears, Duane “Ole” (Berta) Spears Sr., Harlene (Tony) Spears, Rodney (Michelle) Spears Sr., Evon Spears, Dawn (Vincent) Spears, Special Daughter, Nicole (Brian) Spears Special Niece, Bobbi Ann Lussier, Special Grandchildren: Nyah Reanne, and Tyler James Neadeau, All of Red Lake, MN. 27 Grandchildren, 49 Great-Grandchildren, and 1 Great-Great Grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Margaret Rose Lussier, Loretta Mae Berg, Joseph Pierre, Albert Spears, Mary Rosebear, Mary Stately, Mary Redeagle, George Spears, Joseph Spears, 1 Grandchild, 1 Great-Grandchild, and her longtime companion Theodore “Teddy” Beaulieu. Active Casketbearers will be Kevin Spears Sr., Duane “OJ” Spears Jr., Dustin Brown, George Sumner, Delwyn English Sr., Joshua Lussier, Rodney “Chubbs” Spears Jr., Megan Anne-Marie Brown, Brian Seki, Delwyn Brown, Derek Spears, Randy Lussier, and Justin Spears. Honorary Casketbearers will be: Lucille Auginash, Betty Schoenborn, Al English Jr., Frank Spears, Dave Langfeld, Bobbi Ann Lussier, Karla Lajeunesse, Leslie Lussier, Katie Pierre Houle, Debbie Garrigan, Mary Ann Cook, Julie Ann Stately, Myron Jones, Mary Sumner, Diane Graves, Kristen Hart, Arlene Auginash, Jody May, and the staff at JPECF.