Date of Birth:
Tuesday, July 21, 1931
Date of Death:
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Age:
93 years old

Anna Mae Lennington

Anna Mae Lennington (formerly Whitcomb) passed away March 13, 2025. A celebration of her life will be held at Peace United Church of Christ in Rochester, MN on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Visitation will be held at 10:00 and the Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00. She was cremated and will eventually be buried beside her husband of 39 years, Pastor David M. Lennington, at Pilgrim’s Rest North Cemetery in Shannondale, Missouri.

She was born on July 21, 1931, in Tilda, India, to Dr. Elmer William Whitcomb and Adella Edna Whitcomb (formerly Rodeheffer). Her parents were medical missionaries who established a rural hospital in Chhattisgarh, India. She grew up alongside three older brothers, Tom, Bill, and John, all of whom preceded her in death.

Anna Mae attended Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India, and later graduated from Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University) in Illinois. She met David Lennington through mutual friends, and they married on September 1, 1954. Together, they served as missionaries in Ghana, West Africa, before returning to the United States, where they continued their work in various communities.

Throughout her career, she worked in education, including roles as a Title 1 reading teacher in Garrison, ND; a kindergarten and speech therapist in Salem, MO; the director of InterServe Early Childcare and Education in St. Joseph, MO; and a life skills instructor at the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, MO.

David passed away in 1993, and Anna Mae retired in 2001 and continued to live in St. Joseph, MO. In 2010, she moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where she remained active in volunteer work at her church and enjoyed hobbies such as cooking, reading, sewing, swimming, walking and playing cards. In 2022, she moved to Apple Valley, MN with Adele and Paul.

She is survived by her four children—Steve (Kay) Spratte-Lennington, Goshen, KY; Adele (Paul) Bauch, Apple Valley, MN; Jim (Barb) Lennington, Bismarck, ND; Bart (Joy) Lennington, Atchison, KS—as well as eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many extended family members and friends. Anna’s family extends their gratitude to the staff and friends at Valley Ridge Senior Living Community in Burnsville, MN, the many caregivers at Moments Hospice and the members of Peace United Church of Christ for their care and support. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be sent to Minnesota Public Radio, Peace United Church of Christ Memorial Fund, or Moments Hospice in Golden Valley, MN