Francis Anderson, 80

Francis Anderson, 80 of Thief River Falls, MN passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 14, 2020 at Minnesota Greenleaf in Thief River Falls. Public visitation will be from 1 p.m. until2 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls, MN. The Private Family Memorial Service will be at 2:00 PM Saturday at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls, MN with Rev. Darrel Cory officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Thief River Falls, MN. Please wear your mask, practice social distancing and follow protocols of the CDC and Redeemer Lutheran Church. Francis Richard Anderson was born January 5, 1940 on the family farm near Strandquist, MN the son of Andrew and Ruth (Swanson) Anderson. He was baptized into the Lutheran faith and confirmed September 25, 1955 at Zion Lutheran Church in Karlstad, MN. He attended school in Strandquist where he graduated in the class of 1958. Francis then attended vocational school for carpentry in Thief River Falls. He also served with the Minnesota National Guard for four years. In the fall of 1968, Francis met the love of his life, Marlys Lofberg and the couple were married May 10, 1969 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls. They made their home in Thief River Falls where they raised their three sons, Nathan, Jeremy and Seth. Francis along with his brothers, Roy, Elmer & Adolph started Anderson Bros. Phillips 66 Gas Station in Karlstad in the early 1960’s. In September of 1965 Francis and Adolph started a branch Phillips 66 Gas Station in Thief River Falls which was a full-service station along with bulk fuel delivery. In 1980 they added used car sales to their business operation. Eventually, Francis became the sole owner of Anderson Bros. and continued to operate his business with his sons until 2013 when he retired. After retirement, Francis delivered parts for Auto Value in Thief River Falls. Francis enjoyed selling cars and dealing with the public, as well as teaching his sons about cars. He also enjoyed tinkering with his John Deere tractor and lawn mowers. He loved spending time outdoors–camping with his family and hunting deer out West. Locally, Francis would often scout for deer in his “Buck Wagon” and never missed an opportunity to hunt on the home farm near Karlstad. Besides woodworking and carpentry, Francis loved his family very much, especially his grandchildren. An avid conversationalist, Francis had a genuine smile and a sharp sense of humor. When asked about his birthday he referred to himself as “the 1940 model”. He was an excellent cook, often serving his family steak suppers on Saturday evenings and omelets on Sunday mornings. And he was a godfather to many nieces, nephews and friends’ children. He was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls since 1969. Survivors include his loving wife, Marlys; sons, Nathan (Renay) Anderson; Jeremy (Janna) Anderson and Seth (Lisa) Anderson; grandchildren, Tyler, Brady, Olivia, Katie, Evan, Carter, Odin, Oswin and Oliver; all of Thief River Falls; siblings, Roy (Emojean) Anderson, Adolph Anderson and Fern Brevik; and many Godchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by parents; siblings, Alvin, Elmer, Edna, Alice and Marion. Memorials are suggested to Minnesota Greenleaf or Alzheimer’s Association Message of condolence, tribute video and memorial service may be seen on the obituary page for Francis Anderson at www.johnsonfuneralservice. A live stream will also be available at the Redeemer Lutheran Church website at www.redeemertrf.org.