Johnny Anderson, 90, Albert Lea
Published 9:12 am Friday, August 23, 2013
Funeral services for Johnny David Anderson, of Albert Lea, will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. John Holt will officiate. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Bonnerup Funeral Service and again one hour prior the service at the church on Monday. Interment will be in Lakewood Cemetery.
Mr. Anderson died peacefully on the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, at Thorne at Crest Retirement Community in Albert Lea. He was 90 years of age.
Johnny was born April 19, 1923, in Red Lake County, the son of Edward and Clara (Skalat) Anderson. His mother got ill after he was born so he was raised by foster parents, Charles and Mary Johnson, living there until he was 21 years old. He attended public school in Red Lake County and on Dec. 25, 1948, was united in marriage to Lily Charlotte Land in Northwood.
Johnny was a member of First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea and served as an usher for more than 50 years. He worked for two years in the ship yards in Bremerton, Wash., owned and operated a bakery in Northwood, worked for short time at Wilson & Co., was an assembly worker at Queen Products for more than 30 years and a greeter at Walmart for 11 years. He was a member of the Sons of Norway and the Union Center.
Johnny enjoyed camping, dancing to old time music, baking Christmas cookies, gingersnaps, buns, flatbread and making lefse and krumkake. He was always proud of his new Buicks. He was a small man with a big heart and a loving father and husband.
Johnny is survived by his wife, Lily of Albert Lea; daughters, Mary Jo and her husband Neil Volkman of Albert Lea, LorRae and her husband Randy Groff of Moline, Ill., grandchildren, Elizabeth (Betsy) and her husband Mike Polis of Minnetonka, Eric Volkman and his special friend Elissa Goskeson of Hopkins, Heidi Groff of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Luke Groff and Emily Groff of Centerville, Iowa. Also surviving are brothers, Orlyn Anderson of Minneapolis, Kenneth (Marcile) Anderson of Glenville; sister, Ida (George) Thompson of Colo, Iowa; and foster sisters, Inga Linder of Plummer and Gladys Magnell of Spearfish, S.D. Also surviving is a good friend and roommate at Thorne Crest Phil Callahan.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Palmer and Arnold; and sisters, Evelyn Stennes and Alice Smith.