Anita Elvira Laura Risto

ANITA ELVIRA LAURA RISTO, age 94 of Waseca, died surrounded by the love of her family on the morning of Saturday, June 20, 2026 at Whispering Creek Care and Rehabilitation Center in Janesville.

Anita was born on the family farm in Waseca County on February 19, 1932, to parents Herman and Laura (Roeker) Gahler. She was baptized at the Freedom Immanuel Lutheran Church on March 3, 1932 and was later confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Waldorf on April 14, 1946. As a child she attended country school for six years before spending one year at the Freedom Immanuel parochial school, and later graduated from Janesville High School with the class of 1950. On December 21, 1951, she was united in marriage to Alfred Albert Risto at the Freedom Immanuel Lutheran Church. She worked for a time at the E.F. Johnson Company in Waseca, but spent most of her adult working years as a homemaker, farm wife, and mother to four children. She spent hours alongside her husband caring for her garden, canning, driving tractor, walking beans, and tending to the many demands of farm life. She also enjoyed quilting and had made quilts for all of her grandchildren and many of her friends. Beyond anything else she loved to spend time with her family and babysit her grandchildren. Anita was a member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Alma City where she was a member of the Ladies Aid. She was an outspoken evangelist for the Lord and was excited share the good news of Jesus with anyone that would listen. She will be dearly missed.

Anita is survived by three children, Barbara (David) Denn of Waseca, Bruce (Doreen) Risto of Pemberton, and Debbie (Dan) Roemhildt of Janesville; eight grandchildren; twenty-two great-grandchildren with three more on the way; two step-great-grandchildren; and two siblings, Ernst (Betty) Gahler and Beatrice Tiegs. She was preceded in death by both of her parents; her husband; a son, Ralph Risto; a granddaughter, Laura Roemhildt; a great-granddaughter, Hope Sibilrud ; brothers Herbert (Betty) Gahler and Wilbert (Carol) Gahler; and siblings-in-law, Elmer Tiegs and Dorothy (Gerald) Buker.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Alma City, with Rev. Robert Harting officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. Interment will follow at the Alma City Cemetery. Friends and family are invited to share in a memorial reception at the church following the interment service.