Funeral service will be at Faith Community Church, Laurel, Oct. 10, at 10:30 a.m.

Visitation will be at church, Oct. 10, from 9:30 a.m. to service time.

Interment will be at Concord Cemetery. Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home,Wayne. Anita June Saunders was born Sept. 21, 1932, on a farm north of Maskell to Stanley Alton and Faye Lenora (Heikes) Mitchell. Her family later moved to a farm near Obert, where she graduated from high school in 1950 as the class valedictorian. After attending summer classes at Wayne State Teachers College, Anita began teaching in Cedar County Country School at the age of 17. She continued attending summer school over the years, and was a teacher in northeast Nebraska for eight years. Anita married Lowell LaVern Saunders June 2, 1957, at her family farm home south of Laurel. The couple lived in Dixon. She was the Dixon Village Clerk for 27 years and then worked four years for a Community Action Council. For the next 14 years, Anita was a respite caregiver through the Area Agency on Aging.

She loved flower gardening, house plants and reading. Baking goodies for her grandsons was a favorite activity.

Anita’s family includes her son and daughter-in-law, Curt and Renee Saunders, Laurel; three grandchildren and their families, Brian (Sara) Saunders, and Waylon and Stevi, Tampa, Fla.; Johnathan “Johnny” Mitchell (Alex) Saunders, Cash, Jet and Reggie, Papillion; and Justin Saunders and his girlfriend, Brooke, Omaha; sister-in-law, Leita (Ben) Whitlock; nieces and nephews; and her dear and special friend and caregiver, Kim Nelson.

Anita was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Faye Mitchell; husband, Lowell, in 1982; son, Brad, in 1985; and in-laws, James and Mabel (Backman) Saunders.

Memorials may be directed to Anita’s family for later designation.