Stoughton- Anna Marie Beals Stracener, age 79.5, passed away on Sunday, July 17, 2022 at Agrace HospiceCare in Madison. She was born on January 17, 1943 in Tuscon, AZ to Ernest J. and Zella Mae Beals. Anna is survived by her husband of 60 years, David; daughter, Karla Stracener Riopel; sons, David Andrew “Andy” and Ernest Roy “Ernie” Stracener; grandchildren, Joey, Andrew, Megan, David, Peter and Miles; great grandchildren, Brayden and Abbie. She was preceded in death by her parents; and sisters, Alta Ruth Clarke and Elizabeth Jane “Betty” Holland.
Anna Marie met David Neal Stracener as primary age kids in Oklahoma City, and upon graduation from Capitol Hill High School they were married in a family ceremony in her living room on Dec 1, 1961. Together they raised three wonderful children.
Anna was always kind, caring, and gentle in words and spirit. She was always at her best when giving her time and talents to help others around her. Her hobbies included teaching young people, cooking, cake decorating, birdwatching, reading and quilting. She had a particular passion for flowers. She and her friend Beverly grew African Violets for 40 years.
Anna was a boundless entrepreneur who leveraged her incredible creative talents to build successful business ventures that all had a common theme – to help other people. Her creative mind, relentless and resilient spirit and innovative methods always provided a strong foundation for success with every endeavor. She and David founded Special Occasions, Candlelight Weddings, The Quilt Basket, Dave’s Country Store and ultimately Kinderbees Preschool. Three grandchildren: David, Peter and Miles are distinguished graduates of Kinderbees and were classmates of many other Stoughton children.
In her heart Anna was always a teacher: Sunday School for Primaries; after school Good News Club felt board Bible stories for neighborhood kids; cake decorating classes; quilting classes; elementary and science education classes; teacher training for NASA programs; and preschool classes held in her Kinderbees morning classes in Stoughton, WI from 2006-2014. Anna earned her Masters Degree in Education and went on to become a board certified teacher in Early Education. She especially enjoyed teaching kindergarten, and served as a mentor for Mothers of Preschool Children (MOPS)
A Celebration of Life gathering for Anna will be held from 10:30am until 12:30pm on Friday, August 12, 2022 at Vennevoll Clubhouse, 400 N. Morris Street, Stoughton. A further celebration will be held in Oklahoma City in September.
Memorials may be made in Anna’s name to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz. org/wi?form=alz_donate)
A special thank you to the staff of Agrace in Madison for their compassionate care and loving support of the Stracener family.
Please share your memories of Anna by posting on her Tribute Wall at: www.CressFuneralService.com.
