Ana-Maria Grittmann

Ana-Maria Grittmann, 54, of Dawson, Iowa, passed away Sunday, June 19, 2016, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. A visitation will be held Friday, June 24, 2016 from 4:00p.m. until 7p.m. at Ankeny Funeral Home (1510 W. First St. Ankeny, Iowa 50021). Ana-Maria will be buried in Romania at a later date.

Ana-Maria was united in marriage to Mark Grittmann on February 14, 2006 in Dubuque, and they lived in Ankeny until 2014 when they moved to a country home near Dawson.

Ana-Maria was born September 10, 1961 to Gaboreanu Gheorghe Mircea and Garboreanu Iulia-Maria-Marcela (Muresianu) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She earned her DVM and PhD at the University of Agricultural Studies and Veterinary Medicine from Cluj-Napoca, where she later became an Assistant Professor teaching Animal Genetics and Eredopathology. She moved to the United States in 2002 to work at Iowa State University in the field of genetics research. Later, she also completed research work at the University of Iowa in microbiology. Most recently, she was completing research work at Accelerated Ag Technologies.

Ana-Maria was a Master Gardner and loved spending time gardening. She was also a talented Potter and former member of Creative Artists Studio of Ames, and then worked from her home studio. Her functional and decorative pottery, all thrown on the potter's wheel, was on exhibit at many Art shows in Iowa.

Ana-Maria is survived by her husband Mark and his children, Amanda, David, and Shawna Grittmann; her father Gaboreanu Gheorghe Mircea and a sister, Ioana Garboreanu. She is preceded in death by her mother.

Online condolences and thoughtful memories can be shared on Ana-Maria's page at www.ankenyfuneralhome.com.