Luella T. Braa

was born on January 22, 1924 to Theodore and Anna (Moi) Aanenson in Luverne, Minnesota. She was baptized February 17, 1924 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Luverne and confirmed June 18, 1939 at Zion Lutheran Church in Luverne. She spent her childhood in rural Luverne where she lived on the family farm and attended country school. During WWII, she moved to Brooklyn, New York where she worked as a governess. On June 24, 1951 she married Charles Braa at Zion Lutheran Church in Luverne. The couple moved to Rapid City, South Dakota for a few years while Charlie was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Following her husband's honorable discharge, the couple made their home in Luverne. Luella was a homemaker to her husband and their five children. She also worked for a number of years decorating ice cream squares at the Terrace Park Dairy in Luverne and prepared baked goods and assisted with the bookkeeping for Gert's Café. On Saturday, August 28, 2010, Luella died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, at the age of 86 years, seven months, and six days.

Luella was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne where she was active in the Lydia Circle. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 123 where she served as a past president. She volunteered at the VA Home in Luverne and assisted with local Blood Drives. Luella and Charles loved dancing, rollerskating and playing cards. They enjoyed life together. Her passion was cooking and baking. She taught cooking classes for lefse and Norwegian cookies. During the holiday season, she would bake lefse for the Blue Mound Inn, as well as family, friends and the community and had her lefse shipped around the world. She collected over 100 cookbooks throughout the years. Their door was always open for a cup of coffee (nobody would ever leave hungry). Luella loved to travel and visit family members. One especially memorable trip was when she traveled to Europe with her daughter Kathe in 1984. They traveled to her home country of Norway, meeting relatives still there, then to England where her daughter Karla was stationed with the United States Air Force, and finally onto Germany where her brother-in-law, Arthur Braa and his family were stationed with the Air Force. In her latter years, she spent time enjoying her friends. You could always stop in or call Luella and most times find her playing card games with her friend Gail Smeins.

Luella is survived by her children, Karen Vogel and her husband Erv of Rapid City, South Dakota, Kathe Stearns and her husband Walter of Luverne, Kristi Edwards and her husband David of Huron, South Dakota, Kendal Braa of Huron, and Karla Sirorine and her husband Walt of Troy, Missouri; seven grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a brother, Theodore "Ted" Aanenson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and a sister-in-law, Nadine Aanenson of Luverne; special friends, Gail Smeins and Vern and Wanda Kafka. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles; her parents; infant brother, Aanen; six brothers, Aanen, Alex, Arnie, Selmer, Edwin, and Earling; and four sisters, Avilda, Edia, Selma, Lillian.