Mary Anna Anderson, 90

Mary Anna Anderson, 90, of Holdrege, died on Thursday, November 13, at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. She was born August 28, 1935, at McPherson, Kansas, the eldest of three children of Clarence J. and Myrtle ( Hawkinson) C arlson. S he w as baptized and confirmed at the New Gottland Church of McPherson, Kansas. She attended country grade schools in McPherson County and g raduated a s a n h onor s tudent f rom McPherson H igh S chool w ith t he class o f 1953. S he p ursued h igher e ducation a t t he Immanuel School of Nursing, Omaha, where she received her R.N. degree.

On J uly 1 4, 1 956, s he w as m arried t o R obert C . A nderson, o f Holdrege, at New Gottland Lutheran Church of McPherson, with the Rev. Paul Hawkinson, Mary Anna’s uncle, officiating. While Robert finished his medical schooling, Mary Anna worked as a surgical nurse at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. Three sons were born to this union: Robert Scott, Mark Thomas, and Daniel Paul.

In 1958 they moved to Ainsworth, where Dr. Anderson joined the Ainsworth Medical C linic. M ary A nna w as i nvolved i n s everal community a nd c hurch activities. S he s erved a s a Sunday S chool teacher and part time organist at First Methodist Church. She served on the Ainsworth Library Board and as their president.

In 1967 the family moved to Holdrege, where Dr. Anderson established the Family Medical Clinic where Mary Anna helped in the office during the first year. They became members of the Bethel Lutheran C hurch w here s he t aught S unday a nd B ible S chool a nd directed a children’s choir. She served on the Church Council and was elected to the first Bethel Foundation Board. She updated the church library in 1971 and, except for a few years, served as the church librarian. She took three semesters of pipe organ at the University of Nebraska in Kearney and was one of the church organists.

In 2011, Mary Anna became a part of the Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, ELCA, a mission church, in downtown Holdrege. She was a faithful member there until her passing.

Music was very important in her life. A fter further study in piano and pedagogy, she started teaching private piano lessons in 1978, and taught u ntil her h usband r etired i n 1 990. S he e njoyed t he c hildren and felt so rewarded when music meant something to them.

In Holdrege, she was active in the Phelps Memorial Service League in its beginning years, a member and past president of Chapter H, P.E.O., served as a mentor at Holdrege Middle School and has been a Teammate there for several years. She was a member of the Community Concert Board and also served on The Tassel Board. She was a volunteer at Holdrege Memorial Homes playing for their Sunday Chapel services.

After her husband’s retirement, they traveled to several foreign countries and visited many sites in the U.S. Mary Anna continued to travel after her husband’s death and went to Sweden with her sister and t hen m ade t hree d ifferent t rips t o T anzania, A frica, with t he Nebraska Synod ELCA group.

Mary Anna and her husband were honored to be the Swedish King and Queen in 2000-2001. In 2006, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary w ith f amily a nd friends holding a n o pen h ouse a t T he Tassel.

Along with her music, Mary Anna enjoyed her family, friends, reading, a nd w orking w ith plants a nd flowers. Her faith a nd c hurch were very important to her and enjoyed affirming her faith each morning with her daily devotions.

Besides her parents, Mary Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Robert Anderson; a brother, Dr. Gordon Carlson and his wife Kathy; a sister, Carolyn and her husband Pastor James Haase; and brother and sister-in-law, Wilbur and Ardelle Anderson.

She leaves to celebrate her life, her three sons: Dr. Robert (Sandy) Anderson, Fort Collins, Colo., Mark Anderson (Delia), New Lenox, Ill., and Dr. Daniel (Karen) Anderson, Mankato, Minn.; seven grandchildren: Dan Anderson, Little Rock, Ark., Krista (Jarrod) DuPriest, L ittle Rock, A rk., M arissa ( Chuck) A rmour, N ew Lenox, I ll. Tyler Anderson, Kansas City, Kan., Rachel (Josh) Steinhorst, Rochester, Minn., Matthew (Amy) Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn., and Stephanie (Alex) Goettl, Byron, Minn.; 10 great-grandchildren, Jackson and Cooper Martin DuPriest, Bennett, Lily, and Eve Steinhorst, Charles “Chuckie” and Iliana Amour, Aidan and Rory Anderson, and James Goettl.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, with the family greeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are kindly encouraged to: Phelps County Community Foundation, Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, or The Tassel Performing Arts Center.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.