Lisa "Spunky" Anderson

Lisa was born June 11, 1968 at St. Mary’s hospital in Minneapolis. At the age of 6 months she had a reaction to the immunization shots she received. Doctors had told her parents, Gene and Helen Anderson, don’t expect Lisa to crawl, walk, talk or live a long life. The doctors didn’t realize what a fighter they had with Lisa or her family. Her dad would stand over her crib each night he came home from work and Lisa would have to roll over from her back to her stomach or her stomach to back before he would pick her up. During that time he would tell her she could do it, she was stronger than she knew. Many times her dad ate cold meals, but that didn’t matter to him because he knew Lisa was getting stronger. When her mom came home from the hospital with her sister Beth, her mom received the gift of seeing her daughter Lisa, at the age of two, walk for the first time. Her dad and brothers would help Lisa walk between them until she could do it on her own. After that there was no stopping Lisa and dad gave her the name, Spunky. Lisa’s siblings, Brian, Doug, Tim, Deb and Beth each took their turns watching Lisa throughout the day so their mom could run the family home. Soon the neighborhood kids on Greenwood Drive in Mounds View would pitch in with helping watching Lisa. They were some of the first to welcome Lisa home after her first of many brain surgeries. One of Lisa’s disabilities was that she only had peripheral vision, but that didn’t stop her from watching TV, especially All Star Wrestling. Mad Dog Vachon and Baron von Raschke were favorites. She loved to sit in front of the TV, sideways and watch the action from the corner of her eyes. Lisa lived at home until she was 8 years old. She then moved to Homeward Bound in New Hope, MN, A home where mentally challenged children and young adults lived. Even though Lisa was mentally and physically challenged she didn’t just sit at home. Lisa took trips to Camp Confidence with the Homeward Bound group home, took a trip to Florida to Walt Disney World, house boat vacation for a week, going to the movies, out to eat and shopping. She loved going to ValleyFair and riding the High Roller rollercoaster, the employees at ValleyFair were accommodating and Lisa was able to ride it two times in a row, without having to give up her front row seat. When her parents moved back to Pine City, Lisa moved to a group home in North Branch, MN. Her parents were closer so they could visit her more often than when she lived in New Hope. Her outings didn’t stop when she moved either. She still took camping trips, trips to fairs and went out to dinner and movies. Spunky’s giggles, squeals, and screams will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She is not alone though, her brother Tim, nephews Sam and Nathan, and her grandparents; Axel Anderson, Sylvia Clifford, George and Genevieve Blumhoefer are with her to watch over her now and show how living in our Lord’s kingdom will be divine. Lisa Anderson of North Branch, died unexpectedly Wednesday at the Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center in Wyoming at the age of 42 years. Lisa Anderson is survived by her Parents Gene & Helen Anderson of Rock Creek, siblings Brian and Judy Anderson of Rush City, Doug & Kathy Anderson of Osceola, WI., Debi & Kurt Wendorf of Tom Bean TX., Beth & Chuck Ruud of Andover and many nieces and nephews; Fr. David Forsman will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial for Ms. Lisa Anderson; 10:30 a.m. on Saturday (9/11/ 2010); at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pine City. A time of visitation and reviewal is scheduled for 1 hour prior to the funeral Mass at the church on Saturday and Friday evening from 5-8 p.m. at the Swanson Chapel in Pine City. A prayer service is planned for 7:30 p.m. Lisa Anderson will be interred in the Pine Grove Cemetery east of Pine City.