Mary Jane Anderson, 86, of Lake Norden passed away Sunday, November 13, 2016 at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown, SD. Two Celebrations of Life will take place. The first for workers, residents and friends at the Golden Living Center in Lake Norden on Sunday afternoon, November 27, 2016 at 3:30 pm.  A second Celebration of Life Service with family present is planned for the summer of 2017. Geise Funeral Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.

Mary Jane (Espland) Anderson, daughter of Otto & Sadie Eastberg, was born on February 14th, 1930 at a home in Lake Norden, South Dakota. She grew up in Lake Norden, S D and attended school at Lake Norden, graduating from Lake Norden High School in 1948. Mary Jane worked at the Lake Norden Creamery, becoming Land O'Lakes.  She worked on and off at the Lake Norden Post Office and the Lake Norden Nursing home.    Mary Jane was united in marriage on December 29th, 1951 to Eldon Espland of Lake Norden at the Lake Norden Baptist Church, making their home there until she and Eldon retired in 1975 from trucking business and moving to Castro Valley, CA to become managers of a large apartment complex, doing that work until 1994, when Mary Jane & Eldon retired from that and moved to Mesa, Arizona, enjoying retirement there. Eldon Espland passed away in Mesa, Arizona on December 24th, 1998 and Mary Jane moved back to Lake Norden where she and Gerald Anderson, who graduated together from Lake Norden High School and working together at the Lake Norden Creamery during High School in Lake Norden, were united in Marriage at Gerald's home in Lake Norden on December 9th, 2007, living at Gerald's home in Lake Norden until Gerald's passing on September 29th, 2013 in Lake Norden.  After Gerald's passing, Mary Jane lived for a short time at Lake View Apts., in Lake Norden, and then moving into the Lake Norden Nursing Home, mid 2015.  Mary Jane passed away at the Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown, South Dakota on Sunday night, November 13th, 2016, at the age of 86 years.

Mary Jane was a long time member of the Lake Norden Baptist Church, where she was organist, sang in the choir and very involved in many activities at the Baptist Church.  After her marriage to Gerald, she began attending the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lake Norden, being their organist and involved in the Covenant Church.

Mary Jane loved and enjoyed knitting and crocheting many sweaters, blankets and potholders for friends and folks, along with many church activities, also enjoying sewing, flowers, birds and singing.

Grateful for having shared  her life are one daughter, Peggy(Espland) Santa Maria & her husband Roy, of San Lorenzo, CA, three step sons Kenneth Anderson & his wife Tammy of Bryant, SD, David Anderson & his wife Judi of Lake Norden, Paul Anderson & his wife Marla of Aberdeen, SD, one granddaughter, Jennifer (Oliver) Holliday of Cameran Park, CA,  four great grandchildren, 2 sister's –in-law, Jane Espland of Modesto, CA and Barbara Espland of Shoreview, Minnesota, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Mary Jane was preceded in death by her parents, her 1st husband, Eldon and her 2nd husband Gerald,  her daughter, Lauralee(Espland) Oliver, two brothers, George and Meryln Eastberg and her  mother-in-law May Leighton Espland Keller.