Lamarr Anderson

LaMarr D. Anderson died July 24, 2012 and is now able to breathe easily again after living valiantly with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).    Memorial services will be held on Saturday, July 28th at 9:00 A.M. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville with Rev. Dr. Larry Griffin, officiating.     A memorial visitation will be held on Friday from 5 to 8 P.M. at McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory in Waseca, and will continue on Saturday morning for one hour prior to services, at church.    LaMarr was born June 25, 1945 to Arnold and Dorothy (Hass) Anderson in Albert Lea, MN. A great story-teller, he loved sharing happy childhood memories of playing with his brother, Drew, and sister Judy, along with their cousins on the family farm near Matawan, MN; climbing trees, jumping in the granary, and generally horsing around and getting into trouble together.   After his parents divorced, his mother remarried Gay Anderson, they moved to Frost, MN and they became a family of 5, with new sisters Glenda and Ila and eventually, baby sister Dea. LaMarr loved proudly telling the story about how, on one of his and his brother's first outings to town together, his Dad was asked "who are those boys with you?" Gay's response was "those are MY boys."    In high school, LaMarr liked to tear up the gravel roads between Frost and Janesville, MN in his car with his buddies. While on one of those escapades, he met his true love, Marsha Mittelstaedt. He stole her mitten and arrogantly told her he would give it back to her for a kiss. She was shy but smitten. You could call them High School Sweethearts and they have rarely been apart since. LaMarr graduated from Frost High School in 1963 and volunteered for the United States Marine Corp. He and Marsha married in 1964 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville, MN. They lived in Santa Ana, California, where he was stationed and where their daughter, Tracy, was born.  Upon his honorable discharge from the Marine Corp they made their home in Waseca, MN, where their daughter, Heidi, and son, Jeff were born.    LaMarr worked for Johnson Chevrolet/Countryside Motors for almost 30 years, retiring in 1996. He must have known everyone in town since someone always gave him a steering-wheel wave when driving around town. While admittedly we're biased, we think people often brought their car in to "LaMarr" -- not "Countryside" for repair and we wonder how many other kids had the rare privilege of riding their bike into the shop and having the Service Manager pump air in their tires. After retirement from Countryside, LaMarr enjoyed a 2nd career as a Real Estate Agent and Broker, successfully putting to use both his love of the area and of visiting with people.    LaMarr was active in his church and community. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church while his children grew up and Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville upon his retirement, serving on church boards and as a Sunday School Teacher. He enjoyed playing softball with the Waseca Merchants team until a knee injury side-lined him. He was an avid fisherman, fishing the heck out of all the area lakes, casting from shore and boat over the years and always looked forward to the annual fishing trip to the Boundary Waters or Canada - even making the trip when he was very ill with IPF.    LaMarr was a wonderful and proud dad. He and Marsha attended every band concert - from those wince-and-plug-your-ears 5th grade concerts to the Award Winning Marching Jays Field Shows and Indoors. Tracy proudly remembers his joy, spontaneously jumping from his seat with a shout, upon her win of a flute soloist award at a Spring Awards Ceremony. He was a gallant dad, running onto the softball field and carrying Heidi off after she badly sprained her ankle in a collision with a player on 2nd base - and puffing with pride as she entered the gym as a Homecoming Queen Candidate. Jeff was his dad's sidekick from the start, swiping his dad's tools and hiding them in his Big Wheel, "driving" his Dad's pick-up, and causing most of his dad's gray hair since very young. Jeff has been casting alongside his dad for as long as he can remember. He's gone on the annual fishing trip with his dad since he was 9 years old. LaMarr was more than a little proud of Jeff's business accomplishments, frequently helping at the shop, or just hanging out there with him. They shared a special father-son bond. LaMarr was a dearly loved grandpa to 8 happy grandkids and he and Grandma never missed an opportunity to travel anywhere, anytime, to hang with them and generally spoil them rotten (as grandparents are allowed to do); attend a game or a concert, pick them up or take them to school, take them camping; go to the races or have breakfast at a bright and early 7am Grandparents day celebration at their school, all the way up in the cities.    His was a life well and fully lived. He was always there for all of us and no words can describe how much we will miss him.    LaMarr is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marsha Anderson; his daughter Tracy (John) Sandberg and their children, Jack and Ruthie (Bloomington, MN); his daughter Heidi (Dan) Kunst and their children Michael, Allison, and Jonathan (Eagan, MN) and; his son Jeff (Cyndi) Anderson and their children Josh Burston (and son, Nathan), Jessica, and Shelby (Waseca, MN). He is also survived by his Mother, Dorothy Anderson (Robbinsdale, MN); sisters, Ila (Dick) Hoberg (Sauk Center, MN), Glenda (Larry) Sapp (Buffalo Center, IA), and Dea Anderson (Robbinsdale, MN); his brother Drew (Carol) Anderson (St. Paul, MN), and ; his brother and sister-in-law Billie and Marcia Mittelstaedt (Waseca, MN), and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews, and so very many beloved friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Gay Anderson, his father and mother-in-law, Heinz and Gert Mittelstaedt, his sister Judy Hamson, and his nephew Bradley Quade, as well as many friends and family, with whom, we are certain, he is again laughing, talking smart, and telling stories.