James Anderson

James W. Anderson, 90, of Litchfield, MN, passed away Tuesday, April 13, 2010, at the Emmanuel Home in Litchfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 10:30AM, at the Church of St. Philip, with Father Joseph Steinbeisser celebrating. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday, April 16, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM, followed with a parish prayer service at 7:00 PM. Interment will be held at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. James Walford Anderson, the second son of Emmanuel and Hilda (Johnson) Anderson, was born on August 10, 1919 in Litchfield, MN. After graduating from Litchfield High School in 1937, he continued his education at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1940. Jim met Henrietta Gunzelman while serving in the Army Air Force, marrying on August 7, 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland. Together they lived in Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, and Minneapolis before settling in Litchfield, MN in 1946, to take over the family insurance business. Together Jim and Henrietta owned and operated the Anderson Insurance Agency. Jim was active in the community, as a member of the American Legion Post #104, the VFW Post #2818, the Litchfield Kiwanis, and the Shriners. Additionally, Jim was a Charter member of the Litchfield Jaycees, a long time member of the Litchfield Golf Club, prominent in the American Heart Association, and a member of the First Lutheran Church. Jim relished being outdoors, where he enjoyed gardening, biking, snow skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, golfing, and playing tennis. He also enjoyed singing, playing racquetball, traveling, and spending time with his friends. Jim relished time spent at his farm on King Lake and at his cabin on Lake Koronis with his family, where boating, fishing, water skiing, diving, and swimming were part of living life to the fullest. He is survived by his three children: Barry Anderson (and friend Lori Boettcher) of Litchfield, Barbara (and Steve) Marsch of Encinitas, CA and Mary Lee Bennett of Vail, CO; his four grandchildren: Ali Marsch, Evan Marsch, Lindsay Bennett and Sasha Bennett; his brother Elwin (and Betty Lou) Anderson of Seattle, WA; and his sister Irene Clark of Plymouth, MN. He was preceded in death by his wife Henrietta, his parents Emmanuel and Hilda, brother Lewis Anderson, brother-in-law Ernest Clark, and sister-in-law Jackie Anderson.