Anna Helen Costello, age 104, of Omro, died peacefully on Tuesday, December 21, 2004 at the OMRO CARE CENTER, where she resided since September of 1993. Anna was born May 5, 1900 in a cabin on the Jorgensen family farm in Winchester, WI. Her father, (Jorgen) John Soren Jorgensen was born in Copenhagen, Skjaeland Island, Denmark. Her mother, Julia Henrietta (nee: Radtke) of German parents, was born in Poznan, Poland. Both families immigrated to America in the 1870s. Both of Anna's parents died in 1939. They are buried in Winneconne Municipal Cemetery.

Anna was the youngest of 5 daughters and a foster brother, James Barber, all siblings deceased. She attended a one-room school, Four Corners School, grades 1 through 6. At age 12, her family moved into the village of Winneconne. There, she completed elementary school. She was confirmed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in 1914. The service was conducted in the German language. Before marriage, she lived and worked in the Neenah-Oshkosh area as a maid-governess.

On September 25, 1925, Anna, age 25, married Cornelius Vincent Costello, age 36, in St. Peter's Church, Oshkosh. They met at a dance at a Grange Hall in Vineland, WI. They were married for 46 years. Cornelius and Anna first lived in the Oshkosh/Omro area until June 1931. They then moved to the Costello/Gallagher Irish Immigrant homestead farm in the Winneconne/Poygan area. The 14 years spent there spanned the Depression and WWII Eras.

In 1945, the family returned to the Omro/Oshkosh area. Anna retired in 1965 from Winnebago Pleasant Acres where she had been employed as a dietary aid for 11 years. Anna moved to Fox-View Manor in 1979 where she lived until admission to Omro Care Center. She had been a widow for 33 years. All her years were spent living in Winnebago County.

Cornelius was born in Oshkosh and died at age 81 at Tomah Veterans Hospital on January 6, 1971. He is buried at Wood Veterans Cemetery, Milwaukee. He was drafted by President Wilson in April 1919. As a "doughboy," he served in the trenches of Vannes, France for 6 months. His unit, U.S. Army RA 10th Field Artillery Division was commanded by Gen. J. Pershing's Expeditionary Forces. As a veteran's wife, Anna was active in the local VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries.

Immediate survivors are one son, Roy Theodore (wife Joyce) of Oshkosh, also four daughters, Marcella Grace (the late William) Bladorn of Omro, Carol Ann (Mrs. James) Emerson of La Canada, CA, Rosemarie (Mrs. Donald) Edminster of La Crosse, WI, and Julia Pauline (Mrs. David) Kotschi of Marietta, GA, also daughters-in-law Dorothea Costello of Omro and Christine Costello of Oshkosh. Three sons and one daughter died earlier, Daniel Vincent (2 yrs) in 1935, John Frederick (73 yrs) in January 2000, Paul Martin (73 yrs) in 2000 and Helen Catherine Reischl (45 yrs) in 1984.

Other descendants include 13 grandsons, 15 granddaughters, 14 great grandsons, 22 great granddaughters, 12 great great grandchildren. Nieces and nephews also remain.

Anna would tell with pride of how, as a farmer's wife during the 30s and 40s, she served hungry, summer, "hay-threshing" crews delicious noon dinners. She killed the fowl herself and prepared the vegetables and fruits which came from the family garden. She had a "green thumb" and was an excellent cook.

She told of visiting her maternal grandparents, Martin Radtke and wife Henrietta (nee: Gluth), at their farm in Freedom. They rode to and from their farm into Oshkosh to board the trolley car into Appleton and again by horse to the Radtke farm. This took several hours and they'd always stay overnight. Anna remembered the Radtkes spoke only German and wore wooden shoes. They are buried in St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, Freedom.

Anna's paternal grandparents, Soren and Sophia (nee: Schultz) Jorgensen, lived with her family in a large, two-story house built by Soren and John, both skilled carpenters trained in guilds in Denmark. Her mother, Julia, was a midwife assistant. One of Anna's favorite childhood memories was of emptying the furniture from the parlor for Saturday night dance parties. Neighbors and relatives would come to dance to music by local accordion and fiddle players. Soren and Sophia Jorgensen are buried in the Jorgensen plot in St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, Winchester.

Anna experienced profound changes during her 10 decades of the 20th century and into the 21st century. She lived under 18 U.S. Presidents. In September 1999, Anna stated she couldn't recall whether she was registered as a Republican or a Democrat. She "just voted whichever way was right."

She was a longtime member of St. Mary's Parish in Omro and Winnebago County Mental Health Association and Friends of St. Thomas Association. Anna will be buried in the Costello family lot in the pioneer cemetery St. Thomas Poygan.

Visitation will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 233 E. Scott Street, Omro, on Monday, December 27, 2004 from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 12 Noon.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Arthritis Foundation would be appreciated.
Address: Arthritis Foundation Nat'l Office:1330 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA Zip 30309 For more information, call 800-283-7800 Ph: 404-872-7100 or log on to www.arthritis.org or to the American Diabetic Association.