Ann Austin

Published September 04, 2019 at 3:14 PM

Ann Austin, age 78, passed away on Friday, August 30, 2019, in Fargo, North Dakota. Ann was born on January 23, 1941 to Torval and Myrtle (Aslakson) Stokkeland on the family farm near Cooperstown, ND. She attended Cooperstown High School, where she sang in the school choir, participated in the National Honor Society and Future Homemakers of America club, and graduated in 1959. She then moved to Crookston, MN, where she worked as a bank teller. It was there that she met her future husband, Joseph (Keith) Austin; they married on September 11, 1965 in Cooperstown, ND and made their home in East Grand Forks, MN. As their family grew, they moved to Grand Forks, ND and then Fargo, ND, where they celebrated 52 years of marriage together. Ann was preceded in death by her beloved husband Keith, brother Bob Stokkeland and his wife Betty, and brother Gordon Stokkeland. She is survived by her brother Vernon Stokkeland and his wife Darlene; brother Curtis Stokkeland and his wife Eileen; son Paul Austin and his wife Brenda; daughter Lori Austin; daughter Kristine Iya and her husband Julian; grandchildren Shandi, James, Eric, Jeremy, Brittany, Joshua, Mary, Annmarie, and Elijah; and six great-grandchildren. Ann was a brilliant gardener with an exceptionally green thumb. The drag racing of her youth was evident in her driving to the very end. She was a talented seamstress, quilter and knitter, and so many of us benefited from her talents. Ann was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, and she put her friends and family first throughout her life. Her love, strength, and selfless generosity will be greatly missed. A memorial service is scheduled for Ann on Saturday, October 19 at 2:00 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, 4601 S University Drive, Fargo, ND 58104, with a reception to follow; Pastor Becky Fischer will officiate. All are welcome to attend and celebrate her life. Her children would like to thank her brothers and sisters-in-law, and friends Jackie Evenson, Phylis Broden, Evelyn Weninger, and the Atonement Church quilting circle for their love and support.