Adonna M. Carpenter, age 95, of Isanti died August 7, 2010 at GracePointe Crossing Gables East in Cambridge. Funeralservices will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 11th at St. Francis United Methodist Church with Rev. Diane Nelson officiating. A visitation will be held from 4:00 – 8:00 P.M. Tuesday, August 10th at Strike Funeral Home – Isanti Chapel and also one hour prior to the service Wednesday at the church. Interment will be in Oak Leaf Cemetery, East Bethel.
Adonna Margery (Sylvester) Carpenter was born on September 8th, 1914 to Grandville and Agnes Sylvester in Anoka County. She went home to her Lord on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the age of 95. She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; husband, Clair; children, Lucille and Daniel; and by grandsons, Steven and Scott; and by a great-granddaughter, Megan.
Adonna grew up, graduated from high school, married and lived her entire life within the fifteen-mile radius of her home of 54+ years. Clair and Adonna raised a family of six children: Delano (Joan), Carrol (Clyde Anderson), Dwight (Lois), Dale, Dean (Annette) and Carin (Steven Calander). As a young family, they farmed for a living and did whatever they could to get through the challenging times.
As their family grew up and moved away, both Adonna and Clair sought work away from the farm. Adonna worked for a brief time at Cambridge Hospital, Mill City and Wayne’s Salvage. She worked at St. Francis Schools as a cook for eight years. Adonna worked at the arsenal in Fridley for a short period and then became the bookkeeper at Sylvester Bros. Lumber, which she enjoyed the most.
Clair and Adonna spent many fun times with family and friends, getting away on the weekends to a lake or just visiting and playing cards. They bought a rustic cabin on a lake up north, which the family still enjoys today. Adonna loved to travel also, going on many trips to visit family members or just sightseeing.
Her family was most dear to her heart, keeping track of everyone. Adonna enjoyed going on walks with the grandchildren and watched over them as they grew up and had families. There are currently 20 living grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren and 45 great great grandchildren, all of whom she knew and cared about. She kept in touch with many of her nieces and nephews also and was close to her sisters-in-law, Jennie and Dorothy. At Christmas she would send out over 100 cards to family and friends.
Adonna kept herself busy by doing baking, flower gardening and much knitting and crocheting. She enjoyed having anyone over for a meal and a good visit. She did volunteer work at the East Bethel food pantry for a number of years. Later in life she spent her time reading and watching her birds at the feeder.
Adonna will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Her love for life and dedication to her family made her a very special person. Now she begins a new life, with her Lord and the Angels are singing!