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Annette Sanders

July 3, 1938 - December 16, 2021

Annette (Voss) Sanders, 83, passed away on December 16, 2021, at Mercy Hospice holding the hand of her husband, Donald (Vince) Sanders.

A graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, December 20, 2021 at Ankeny Memorial Gardens (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd).

Ann, daughter of Margaret and Ted Voss, was born on July 3, 1938 in Southeastern Iowa. Growing up, Ann was a tomboy and loved to play cowboys and Indians with her older sister, JoAnn, in which Ann always insisted on playing the heroine. She married Donald Vincent Sanders on New Year’s Eve of 1959. After moving to the Des Moines metro area, she worked as a highly regarded switchboard operator at Blue Cross Blue Shield for many years. Her hobbies included gardening, reading, listening to Garth Brooks and Elvis, and frequenting the Dairy Queen for a dilly bar with Vince. Somehow, Ann was always able to locate every garage sale within a 50 mile radius, finding hidden treasures for her own collection. Another one of Ann’s favorite pastimes was listening to Vince play his fiddle both at home, and at the Sanders Auto Lab Jam Sessions.

Ann raised three daughters, Cindy (Dave), Lynda, and Kim (Cecil), and her grandson Jake (Marissa). She was blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Lynda, and granddaughter, Katherine.

One of Ann’s favorite songs, was “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack, and she used this song as a reminder to her loved ones to always live life to its fullest.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to MercyOne Hospice in Johnston.