Age 98

Passed away peacefully on September 10, 2025.

Ilean Anderson is a woman of God with a “servant’s heart”. Born Ilean Eleanor Mallak to Mary and Martin Mallak on June 16, 1927, in Silver Lake, Minnesota.

The second youngest of seven children, her responsibilities were to clean; while the older sisters learned to cook and sew, in order, to help their mother. Everyone contributed something to the family. This was the beginning of her “servant’s heart” in training. She always pitched in to do whatever was needed with a smile. Coming from a large family they didn’t have a lot, but she learned to share whatever they had. Their belief was there was always room for one more at the table. This showed up in Sunday dinners. She always cooked roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Occasionally, it was pork roast or fried chicken. I asked her why? She said, so if company came to visit, they would always have something to eat. You never let them go home hungry. That is the true gift of hospitality.

At the age of 16, she moved to So. St. Paul to start her work life. She was blessed to live with her sister, Anna’s family while doing so. Again, family meant a lot to her. She was employed at Westinghouse for several years. Then she fell in love and married Harley “Jim” Anderson. They were wed on July 16, 1949, at St. Adelbert’s Catholic Church in Silver Lake, MN. Moving to St. Paul they had three children, Diane, Dennis and Darryl. The three little darlings! She continued to work and was employed at Peters Meat Packing and later at Tru-Part Manufacturing, until she retired in 1992.

I remember a time when she wasn’t employed outside the home, which wasn’t very often. At 3p.m., Monday-Friday, she would stop what she was doing to put on a crisp, fresh blouse, comb her hair and put on a little lipstick to greet my dad as he came home from work. She always had a smile on her face and said, “hello, Jim, how was your day?”

You felt her love and warmth as you entered her home. She had a “twinkle” that drew people to her. She was the glue that held our family together.

Her formal education may have been limited, but her intellect was sharp and quick. Math was her strong suit. I remember in the early 1960’s when I was in grade school, “new division” math was being taught. I was having a problem with it. Mom took out paper and pencil and solved it the “old, traditional” way without a problem.

Reading was another of her passions. In the early evening, after supper was cooked, dishes washed and put away, kids bathed and in bed, she would finally sit down at the kitchen table with a black cup of coffee and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. She read it front to back. Always informed on current events and human interest stories. But don’t be fooled. She knew her sports also. She loved the Twins and the Vikings. Depending on the season she always had a game on tv. She could tell you which players were “good” and which ones you should trade. She may have been known to make a friendly wager or two, or three. Just for fun, of course!

In the early 1960’s, she learned how to run a business without any previous experience or training. She learned on the job. My father and her owned and operated an off-sale liquor store, Andy’s Liquor. She ran it during the day and my father came after work about 3:30p.m. to relieve her. She ran home, cooked dinner and fed the kids and took dinner back to him and he stayed til close at 8:00p.m. She returned home to bathe the kids and get them in bed. I don’t know how she did it day after day. The house as always clean, our clothes were washed and pressed, and dinner was always on the table. Mom somehow I didn’t get “that gene” from you.

Her montra to everyone crossing her threshold was: Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Let me make you a sandwich. You need to eat something before you leave. Hospitality and service.

She never forgot a birthday. She kept a list of everyone’s birthday, immediate and extended family and friends. There was always a card in the mail.

She lived her life in a mixed faith marriage. My father was Methodist. On their 25^th wedding anniversary, he surprised her and told her he had converted to Catholicism. God works in mysterious ways. Those beginning years she remained steadfast and committed to raising her children Catholic. Now she had a partner in God for the next 17 years until his death.

Being born in the 1920’s, she developed great compassion and empathy. Living through the depression, when a piece of bread spread with lard and sprinkled with sugar was a treat, two world wars, my father’s injuries and her own health concerns and almost 100 years of history. Her faith had been challenged many times and though it was difficult, she remained diligent, committed and faithful to following to where God was leading her.

She was a member of the CCW (Council of Catholic Women) at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in So. St. Paul, MN for many years. Their mission is to support, empower, and educate Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. She served many years at funeral luncheons in preparing the food and the tables for the guests. Again, a servant’s heart.

Years later in the early 1990’s, she had volunteered to clean the rectory for the priests. God was using her service to provide for the priests, but also to comfort her by keeping her busy after her husband’s death in 1992. She is the definition of service and hospitality.

After selling her house in 2004 of 48 years, she moved into a senior apartment in Inver Grove Heights. There God continued to use her. She would drive her elderly neighbors to their doctor appointments, to buy groceries, just to go shopping, or to go to church. God’s work is never done and she loved it!

Her favorite color was blue; favorite food-fried chicken; favorite dessert-hot fudge sundae, of course, calorie free; favorite music and dance-polka; favorite band-6 Fat Dutchmen and her favorite song-Let Me Call You Sweetheart.

In the last few years when she wasn’t physically able to attend Mass, she watched it every Sunday on tv. Steadfast to the end.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harley, “Jim”, of 42 years; parents, Mary and Martin; siblings, Anna, Lucille, Magdeline, Clarence, Gertrude and Robert; great grand daughter-Natalie and many other family and friends.

Survived by daughter, Diane Steinkopf; sons, Dennis (Kathy) and Darryl; eight grandchildren, Matthew (Amy), Nicole, Adam (Rachel); Derek (Elizabeth), Daniel (Margaret), Kristi (Bruce), and Kari (Dustin); and Harley; sixteen great-grandchildren, Josie; Evan and Preston; Willow and Zander; Alexander, Isaac, Gabriella, Luke and Katelynn; Oscar; Charlotte, Landon, and Brooklynn; and Brady and Bennett.

There are many more things to be said, but how do you summarize a life of 98 years?

Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to the American Heart Association.

Mass of Christian Burial 11:30 am Thursday, September 18th, at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 749 6th Ave. S., South St. Paul. Visitation 10:30 am to 11:30 am prior to Mass at church. Interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Luncheon following the interment at the Inver Grove Heights Community Center, 8055 Barbara Ave E.,Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077.