Luitjens, Lucille Evelyn (Anderson)

Lucille Evelyn (Anderson) Luitjens, age 99 of Dodgeville, formerly of Minneapolis, died at Agrace Hospice Care in Fitchburg, Wisconsin on Friday, March 6, 2026.  Lucy was born in Minneapolis on Nov 22, 1926 to Anna Bertina (Gilbertson) and John Martin Anderson.  She grew up on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis with her parents and six siblings.  A January 1945 graduate of Minneapolis Marshall High School, Lucy had the nickname Queenie. During World War II, she was a Rosie the Riveter, working at Durkee Atwood on Nicollet Island, which produced rubber belts for war-time equipment. She later became a supervisor of the secretarial pool at Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company in Minneapolis.  She was also a hostess at the Black Angus in Minneapolis, an upscale restaurant where she had the opportunity to meet many celebrities.  Her final job was at Honeywell in their maintenance and housekeeping department, from which she retired around 1990.  While her son Jeff was growing up, Lucy welcomed his friends with a seemingly endless supply of pizza, pop, pudding, and sweets. It was a chaotic place of refuge for dozens of hungry teenage boys. Lucy hosted slumber parties for nieces and nephews, offering nostalgic movies and sweet treats.  In retirement Lucille loved to dote on her pets and shop at thrift stores. She loved being at home, performing chores like shoveling snow and mowing the lawn well into her nineties. She was always ready for visitors, with her pantry amply stocked.  She closed up her home and moved to Dodgeville in 2021 to live close to her son, Jeff.

Lucy is survived by her son, Jeff (Brenda) Luitjens of Dodgeville; two grandsons, Henry and Harmon Luitjens of Dodgeville; and many beloved nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, and seven siblings: Gilford “Gil”, Luther “Luke”, Jeanette, Lila, Orpha, and Kenneth, and an infant sibling; as well as her pets Pepper, Sport, Brandy, Charley, and Kitty.

There will be a celebration of life for family and friends on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the LivINN Hotel in Fridley, Minnesota with burial at the Sunset Memorial Park in Minneapolis in June.  Saether Funeral Service of Blanchardville is assisting the family.  Memories and condolences can be shared online at www.saetherfuneralservice.com. The family extends special thanks to the staff at Stonefield Senior Apartments, Upland HIlls Hospital, and Agrace Hospice Care for their exceptional care and compassion.