Mary Ann Ackerman

A link to the live-stream of Mary Ann’s service may be found here: View Funeral Webcast

Memorials may be directed to the Valley Springs American Legion Auxiliary in Valley Springs, South Dakota or the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, Minnesota.

MARY ANN ACKERMAN was born on August 17, 1926, to Edd and Mary (Bartels) Kosters in Carmel, Iowa. The family lived in Sioux Falls, Valley Springs, and Hills and farmed. Mary Ann met Abram (Bud) Ackerman at church youth group. She then worked on the Ackerman farm while Bud served in World War II. Mary Ann spoke of how she “saved the farm for her man”. Bud and Mary Ann were married on May 14, 1947, at the parsonage in the Christian Reformed Church in Hills, Minnesota. Mary Ann and Bud made their home on the family farm where they raised their daughter, Henrietta. Mary Ann was a farmer and farm wife for her whole life. They farmed corn and beans, and raised cattle for beef and milk. Grandma also raised chickens and sold eggs, and they raised pigs as well. They retired in 1991, and lived on their farm until November 11, 2014, when they moved to Viste Manor Apartment in Hills. Mary Ann then moved to the Oakes in Luverne, Minnesota. She lived with her granddaughter in Luverne prior to moving to Tuff Memorial Home in Hills in October of 2019.

Mary Ann was a member of the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. She was baptized on June 10, 1927, and made profession of faith August 1946. Membership from Hills CRC was received on November 15, 1964. She was involved in the Mary Martha Circle, choir, and work groups for preparing lunches for church events. She was most recently involved in the Faith Builder’s Bible Study. She was on Christian School circle and loved embroidering dish towels for the Hills Christian School fundraisers. She was pres-ident of the Valley Springs branch of the American Legion Auxilliary.

Mary Ann was a lifelong Minnesota Twins fan. When they did well she rejoiced; when they did poorly she proclaimed that they needed to wear aprons! She and Bud went fishing frequently, and Mary Ann always caught the first fish. Mary Ann kept a family tree for both the Ackerman and Kosters families. She recorded every birth, marriage, divorce, and death for over four generations of family, beginning the recordings after the families’ arrival to the United States from Holland.

She loved gardening flowers and vegetables. Her houseplants were beautiful; one plant was a wedding gift- she kept it beautiful for 67 years! Plants simply grew better when Mary Ann whispered to them. Mary Ann and Bud canned and froze their harvest every year until they moved to the Vista Manor. Mary Ann loved farming, and loved her man. She loved her family well, and always had a sweet smile and a funny joke or song to soothe the soul or just because. Her kind, hardworking hands truly did the Lord’s work every day.

Mary Ann is lovingly remembered by her two granddaughters, Mary (Miles) Brown of Luverne, and their children Brenna (Dylan) Richters and their son Sawyer, Zoe (Zach) Singer, Thomas, Zachary, and Liam Brown; Katie (Seth) Richter of Minneapolis, Minnesota and their daughters Stella and Sadie; her brother Rod (Anna) Kosters; many nieces and nephews who love her dearly. She is preceded in death by her husband, Abram (Bud) Ackerman; her daughter, Henrietta (M. Paul) Jackson; her grandson, Stuart Jackson; her brothers, Alan Kosters, Gerald Kosters, and Hank Kosters; her sisters, Grace Kroon, Irma Halverson, Phylis Bliss.