This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Biessener, Anderson, Johnson, Werner, Knutson Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/3FC.2ACI/3733 Message Board Post: Tonya Lee Biessener, 43 Friday, September 10, 2004 Tonya Lee Biessener, 43, of St. Croix Beach, Minn., died Thursday, Sept. 2, at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn., after a long struggle with alcoholism. She was born July 27, 1961, in Regina Hospital in Hastings, Minn., the daughter of John and Janice (Johnson) Anderson, and attended Afton-Lakeland Elementary School and Oakland Junior High. She graduated from Stillwater High School in 1979 and then attended Medical Institute of Minnesota to become a certified nurse’s assistant. On Sept. 17, 1982, she was married to Richard Biessener at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Stillwater. They were later divorced. She enjoyed working with people as a nurse’s assistant at Community University Health Care Center in Minneapolis and prior to that at the International Clinic through Ramsey Hospital. Her interests centered around her dogs, cooking, doing craftwork and decorating for holidays. Her greatest pleasures came from spending time with her daughters. Survivors are her four daughters, Tahra, Asha, Mariah and Shayla; her mother, Janice Anderson of St. Croix Beach; a brother, John (Cathy) Anderson of Vadnais Heights, Minn.; a sister, Lori (Tony) Werner of Bloomington, Minn.; and a special friend, Tim Knutson of Wayzata, Minn. Preceding her in death were her father, John, and a sister, Shanda Anderson. The funeral service was at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at Memorial Lutheran Church in Afton, Minn., with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial was in Memorial Lutheran Cemetery’s memorial garden. The O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Hudson was in charge of arrangements. © 2004 Hudson Star-Observer - Reposted by permission http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=11648&SectionID=3&SubSectionID=54&S=1