Anna Coleman

Obituary Anna (Schaffner) Coleman July 10, 1923 - April 4, 2005 Anna (Schaffner) Coleman, 81, died on Monday at her home in Tacoma. She was born in Litton, ND, to Johann and Kartharina (Wehrlinger) Schaffner and moved to Yakima, where she graduated from St. Joseph's Academy. In 1939 she moved to Tacoma where she married Monte Ball in 1941, made a home and raised her first family. Monte died in 1958. She married Abe Coleman in 1959, and the house was filled with a second brood of children. Anna worked as a pipefitter during WWII and as a school cook in the lunchrooms at Franklin Elementary and St. Leo's School. When Abe retired, they traveled, most notably to Rome in 2000, when Anna got to see her beloved pope, John Paul II. The couple frequently entertained their many grandchildren, as well. The Colemans were also a fixture at Cheney Stadium, with few Tacoma Rainiers fans as dedicated. Anna was preceded in death by her brother, Pete Schaffner, and sister, Katie (Schaffner) Johnson. She is survived by her devoted husband of 46 years, Abe, brothers, Frank Schaffner, Mike Schaffner, Emmanuel Schaffner, Pius Schaffner, and Tony Schaffner, and sisters, Penny (Schaffner) Purvis, Helen (Schaffner) Alden, Agnes (Schaffner) Brennen, Jean (Schaffner) Glickman, daughters Barbara Laun and Eloise Kanouse, Lorraine Coleman-Doyle, Sara Coleman, and Jeanette Coleman, sons, John Ball, Jim Ball, Bob Ball, Tom Coleman, and Steve Coleman, as well as 23 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Cancer Society. A rosary will be said at Gaffney Funeral Home at 7PM on Sunday and a funeral mass celebrated at St. Charles Church at 11AM on Monday.