Anna Benko (nee Koller) was born November 11, 1925 to Anna Brosowitch and Johann Koller in Kapan, Yugoslavia. She went home to her Lord peacefully in the arms of her daughter, Maria Kisting, on Sunday, January 22, 2017. She was 91 years old.

Anna grew up in Yugoslavia prior to WWII. Her mother died when she was seven. Her father remarried and she was raised by her beloved stepmother and had four half siblings. They migrated during the war to Austria where she met my father, Paul. She worked for the Austrian Conservation Department and her husband worked in the coal mines. They dreamed of America.

Anna and her husband came to America on a Visa, (after waiting for two years) in 1957 with three girls. Her husband had a job waiting for him and they settled in Milwaukee, where they lived most of their lives. Anna cleaned homes, worked in Gimbels Beauty Shop and finally as a pastry chef in Marshall Fields. She was a tremendous cook and baker. She loved to feed people. No one who ever stopped at her house ever left hungry or unhappy. Anna was kind and a great listener who also enjoyed giving advice from experience. She enjoyed socializing at the Croatian picnic at Sacred Heart Church and Schwabenhof (Bavarian Club) with old and new friends and family. She worked hard, was a meticulous housekeeper, wonderful wife and mother. She grew beautiful flowers in her garden, a bountiful garden of vegetables and a great plum tree that we couldn’t resist. She made her own sauerkraut and at the same time taught her future son-in-law to dance the polka for a wedding. She loved to dance and sing.

Anna learned to drive at age 52. My father never drove except from the backseat. She learned English at work and from her friends, which she made easily. She was 76 before she had a checking account and balanced every month to the penny. She was a math whiz with a 6th grade education. She had a beautiful accent. She loved to read stories and sing songs to us. She spoke German, Croatian and English. She loved to learn. Her favorite movie was “Ever After” which we watched with her countless times. Her favorite song was “Edelweiss”. She loved to tell clean jokes and laughed as she told them.

Anna and her husband lived in Michigan by her oldest daughter for 11 years until her husband died in 2012. She then moved to Idaho to live with another daughter until her death. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her stepmother, and two half-brothers. She is survived by her three daughters: Hilda (Stan) Meyer, Anna (Robert) Hannon and Maria (Warren) Kisting. She is also survived by grandchildren: Aaron (Kellie) Ament, Stephanie Ament, Jessica Ray, Kaaron Ray, Sean Ray, and Emily (Eric) Cecil as well as 15 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. Also, surviving is her half-sister Maria and half-brother Hans.

Family Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 12 noon to 1:00 pm with funeral service following at 1:00 pm at the South Chapel of Holy Cross Cemetery, 7301 W. Nash Street in Milwaukee, WI. For those wishing, memorial contributions can be made to Life Care of Sandpoint, Idaho in her memory.

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