Final Salute

ANDOVER, MN-Richard M. (Dick) Anderson, 74, of Andover, MN, formerly of Aledo, IL, passed away on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer. A lunch to reminisce with family and friends is planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, October 17, at the Mercer County VFW in Aledo, where Dick once served as Post Commander. Dick loved to socialize through food and some of his favorites will be served.

Dick donated his body to the University of Minnesota Medical School with the goal of advancing medical care through research. A military service will be held at the Aledo Cemetery at a later date.

For acts of remembrance, the family prefers donations be sent to organizations that can continue to provide support to others, like they did for Dick. Please give consideration to St. Croix Hospice, American Cancer Society, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) as donation.

Dick was born September 14, 1945, in Muscatine, IA, to Dan and Leona (Marple) Anderson. He lived in Millersburg, IL, with siblings Linda, Jerry, Bill, and Tim. He would talk about attending grade school in a one-room schoolhouse with six classmates – half the class were Andersons.

The family moved to Aledo, IL, and Dick graduated from Aledo High School in 1964. He enlisted in the Navy and was deployed to Vietnam in 1966. He served as a Navy Seabee with the Naval Construction Battalion.

After an honorable discharge from active duty, Dick began his career in telecommunications as a lineman with Western Illinois Telephone. He worked for Contel, GTE, AT&T, and retired from Frontier as a Network Operations Engineer.

Dick married Elsa Smith in 1967 and lived in Aledo until they and their kids, Angie and Dack, moved to Minnesota in 1976. Dick enjoyed the Minnesota outdoors. He liked to fish and would take every opportunity to launch his boat on a lake, fish the river, or drop a line through a hole in the ice. Each Labor Day, Dick would host a family fish fry to share the fish he caught. He enjoyed camping at MN State Parks where he and the family would geocache and explore the trails. Dick was an avid sports fan and followed the MN Twins, Vikings, and Wild. Dick and Elsa traveled the world and taught their family there’s more to life than just your own backyard.

Dick bragged at length about his four granddaughters, Alexa, Annelia, Hannah, and Abby. Those he met were fully briefed on the girls’ life milestones. He collected ball caps from their high schools and universities and wore them as conversation starters.

Words can’t describe how much he’ll be missed. He is survived by his wife Elsa; kids, Angie Rafferty (Adam Hays) and Dack Anderson (Sarah); grandkids, Alexa Rafferty (Austin Schiller), Annelia Anderson, Hannah Anderson, and Abby Rafferty; siblings, Linda Sage (Dick), Jerry Anderson (Marta Hanson), Bill Anderson (Laura), and Tim Anderson (Theresa); several nieces and nephews; and lifelong friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and Leona Anderson

To plant trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Published by The Rock Island Dispatch Argus on Sep. 1, 2020.