Anastasia Sjoen

Anastasia Sjoen had lived all over the world, but she chose to raise her family in Petaluma.

Sjoen, a past president of the Petaluma Woman's Club, died Saturday in a Petaluma hospital. She was 88.

She was born and raised in China after her family fled their native Russia in 1917 during the Bolshevik Revolution, said her son, Mike Sjoen of Santa Rosa.

Her father was a palace guard for Czar Nicholas II, and he spent much of his life in prison in Siberia after Nicholas abdicated his throne following the February Revolution.

Anastasia became a fashion model in China, living the elegant life in Shanghai nightclubs where she met her late husband, Simon Sjoen, a Norwegian merchant marine.

"They married, and my father wanted to get her out of there," their son said. "He was done with sailing and she wanted to settle down. America was the land of opportunity."

The couple moved first to San Francisco to be near family, then to Oakland and then Petaluma in 1960.

Within a few days of moving to Petaluma, she was in a terrible car accident and almost died, her son said.

"She survived that. But that was our introduction to Petaluma, unfortunately," he said.

Simon Sjoen took any job he could to support his family, and Anastasia Sjoen raised the children. She made all their clothing during the lean years.

"She was kind, loving and did everything for the kids," her son said. "That was her life, providing for us."

She also loved to garden and to bowl, and had several trophies to show for it.

Sjoen kept a bond with her remaining family in Russia, sponsoring her mother, nephew and his family to immigrate to the U.S. and Petaluma.

She was past president of the Petaluma Woman's Club and was a longtime member of Elim Lutheran Church, the Petaluma Valley Hospital Women's Auxiliary and the American Business Women's Association.

In addition to her son, she is survived by sons Kenneth Sjoen of Sparks, Nev., and Robert DaSilva of San Francisco; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Visitation will be held today from 11 a.m. to noon at Parent-Sorensen Mortuary, 850 Keokuk St. in Petaluma.

The funeral service follows at 1 p.m. at Elim Lutheran Church, 504 Baker St. in Petaluma.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Petaluma Valley Hospital Women's Auxiliary, 400 N. McDowell Blvd., 94954 or the Petaluma Woman's Club, PO Box 285, 94953.

-- Lori A. Carter