Saga Lindfors Vanatta

For this, our dearest Saga, these two quotations – among her favorites – express the essence of her being; the reason she was so beloved by virtually everyone who knew her well.

Saga Elisabeth Lindfors-Vanatta was born in Jakobstad, Finland, the oldest daughter of Thure Sanfrid Lindfors and Agda Elise Blomstrom-Lindfors. She grew up on the family's farm in nearby Esse, in Finland's Swedish-speaking region across the Baltic Sea from neighboring Sweden.

The farm and forest provided for her family, and Saga's father made some of their furniture and also some of their shoes. Her mother wove fabric and sewed cloth and knitted, and Saga acquired these skills as a young girl. Soon after she also learned the art of needlepoint.

Following mandatory education, Saga was trained in Helsinki as a pediatric nurse and then emigrated to California, where her father's brother lived, in 1961. For the next 10 years she worked as a pediatric nurse (at Stanford University Hospital) and then as a childcare specialist working with mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed children.

In 1972 she opened a small studio in her home and began teaching sewing and dressmaking, while at the same time working in a fabric store. Soon thereafter she opened her own store, Saga's Fabrics and Studio, in Los Altos, CA. In the mid-1970's Saga also completed a course personal color consultation. Her fabric store specialized in natural fibers and catered mostly to women who had had their personal color palate done by a trained consultant.

In June 1979, Saga met Daniel Vanatta in Palo Alto, where he worked as a public information manager for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

Saga and Dan fell deeply in love almost immediately, and were married in Carmel, CA., on November 1, 1980. Soon thereafter they began a series of visits to Finland and also Sweden, where Saga's sister Barbro Lindfors lives.

Saga was predeceased by an older brother, John Lindfors, of Esse, and a younger brother, Bengt, who was living in Sweden.

Soon after her marriage, Saga sold her fabric store and then began working at Exotic Silks, a California-based importer of silk fabrics from China. In 1986 Dan accepted a job at a Swedish Biotech company and the pair moved to Stockholm. Prior to leaving California, Saga completed a consultant certification course in Personal Color Analysis in Palo Alto.

Soon after arriving in Sweden, Saga established a business, Saga International Textiles, and traveled throughout Scandinavia, Finland, Germany, England and Spain as the sole European representative of Exotic Silks. She also provided individual color consulting to women in Sweden.

In 1989 Dan was offered a job in New Jersey, near his family, and Saga gave up her business when the two returned to the USA. Soon thereafter, Saga saw an advertisement for a medical billing person and began a new career. She worked in a doctor's office for a year, then in 1991 was hired as Billing Coordinator at the Rossi Psychological Group in Somerville, N.J. Saga was promoted to Finance Manager in 1992 and to Controller in 1995. She retired from the Rossi group in October 2001.

Saga had a lifelong interest in art and classical music, and learned a great deal from visiting great art museums and concert halls in Europe and North America. After retiring, Saga devoted herself to developing her knowledge of fabrics, color and sewing techniques to create her own textile art. She immediately volunteered her services to the Somerset Art Association, in Somerset County, NJ, where she later served as Board member of the Friends of the Somerset Art Association.

Saga also studied quilting and discovered a centuries-old needlepoint technique called bargello. She began experimenting with colorful table runners for friends and relatives. Soon she discovered they had a broader appeal and her handmade table runners and place settings were sold at shops and craft shows in New Jersey.

In 2005 Saga and Dan moved to Mint Hill, from where she sold her works at craft shows in and around Charlotte. Saga also quickly volunteered to join the Mint Hill Arts group. There she was an early fund-raiser and served on its Board in various capacities. Always creative and eager to experiment, Saga displayed abstract wall hangings that she created using unusual design and construction methods with textile, as well as many collages.

Saga's passing followed a lengthy illness. Her family and friends are forever grateful for the loving, professional care provided by Charlotte Region Hospice and Palliative Care. It enabled her to pass peacefully at home, surrounded by her lovely flower garden, as she wished.

Saga requested a presence in her family's cemetery in Esse, Finland, as well as a Memorial Service for her many family and friends who live there and in nearby Sweden. Plans are underway to grant her final wishes.