Russell Anderson

Russell Clyde Anderson was born on 12 December 1911 in Pine City (West Rock), Minnesota and passed away on 5 March 2011 at the Golden Living Center in Rush City, MN. He was the youngest son of Gust and Hulda Anderson of West Rock and had 3 sisters and 8 brothers. His parents were both of Swedish descent. Russell grew up in West Rock and attended local area schools. At a young age, Russell heeded the call to “Go West, Young Man” and he left Minnesota to join his brothers who had formed a construction company based in California and later Seattle, Washington. The company had contracts throughout the western United States, and Russell worked at various sites and on many different projects, including bridges, federal buildings, churches and the Grand Coulee Dam. In 1937, Russell drove his Ford from California to Minnesota to marry his girl friend, Rosie Hansen of Rock Creek, who was a teacher at the West Rock school. After their wedding, they returned to California and proceeded on many more adventures from Panama to Alaska. Their daughter, Jan, was born in Panama in 1941. In 1944, Russell and Rosie decided to return to Minnesota, first to St. Paul and later to West Rock (Highway 70). Their daughter, Gail, was born in 1946. Russell worked vigorously at many careers, dividing his busy times among farming, building, carpentry, and insurance assessment. His wife, Rosie, was a fourth grade teacher at the Rush City Elementary School. In 1975, Russell and Rosie moved to Pine City and enjoyed many happy years in their home near Cross Lake. They spent their retirement years traveling across the United States in an RV, as well as enjoying trips to South America, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and England. Rosie passed away in 1999. Over the years, Russell enjoyed many hunting and fishing trips, baseball games, card games (especially cribbage and 500), learning and speaking Swedish, singing with the Pine City Senior Singers and supporting the Republican party. He and Rosie were active members of the Methodist Church. Russell was preceded in death by his parents, his 10 siblings, and his wife, Rosie, who died in 1999. He is survived by his daughter, Jan Macy and her husband, Tom, who live in Winter Haven, Florida; his daughter, Gail Pugh and her husband, Merl, who live in Paris, France; his sister in law, Marilyn Caza and her husband, Cliff, who live in Pine City, Minnesota, and his sister in law, Marjorie Anderson Pelto and her husband, Mauri, who live on Bainbridge Island, Washington, as well as many nieces and nephews. Memorials preferred to the Pine City Library Foundation (300 5th St SE, Pine City, MN 55063) or the Pine City Senior Singers (c/o Virginia Johnson, 57483 Forest Boulevard, Pine City, MN 55063). A memorial service is planned for 11:00 A.M.; Monday, June 27, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Pine City, Minnesota, with a time of visitation one hour prior. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service ~ Swanson Chapel of Pine City, MN. www.funeralandcremationservice.com