James Newton Anderson

Funeral services for James Anderson, age 75, of Foreston, will be held on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 11 AM at Zion Lutheran Church in Milaca with Rev. Stephen Blenkush officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 – 8 PM on Monday at Zion Lutheran Church and 1 hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. AT THE VISITATION ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE FAMILY REQUESTS THAT EVERYONE WEAR RED. Music will be provided by Cheryl Bailey and Debbie Vedders. Military honors will be provided by Hansen-Hayes American Legion Post #178 & Siemers-Hakes VFW Post #10794. Casketbearers will include Andy Eggert, Jenna Kovarik, Pam Novak, Paula Beaudoin, Sheila Ruprecht and Kristi Kragt. Honorary casketbearers will include Ellie Nelson, Miah Nelson, Lillie Nelson, Hanna Kovarik and Sara Kovarik. Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca. James Newton Anderson was born December 16, 1935 in St. Cloud, MN to Arthur and Lillie (Johnson) Anderson. He graduated from Milaca High School in 1953. After high school, he worked as an aide at the Mille Lacs Veterinary Clinic. He then worked for Franklin Manufacturing and Viron Company. The Viron Company made weather balloons and Jim traveled to Idaho for testing. He then worked in the sheet metal shop at Smith System for 38 years. During this time, Jim also raised Holstein heifers which were sent to Arizona and in November 2010 he sent his last herd to Turkey. He served in the National Guard from 1953 to 1962, the latter years were during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He married Mary Swedin on September 9, 1961 at Zion Lutheran Church in Milaca and they had two daughters. After retirement, Jim helped at the Milaca Area Food Pantry two days a week. He was currently the president of the Milaca Senior Center, the Commander of the Hansen-Hayes American Legion Post #178, and was serving on the Forest Hill Cemetery Board. Jim also served on the Foreston City Council and the Zion Lutheran Church Board. He and Mary traveled throughout the United States and Canada and took a cruise from Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia. They also took a special trip to Norway to visit his second cousins and traveled by train through Norway and Sweden. Jim died on Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Quiet Oaks Hospice in St. Augusta, MN, after a 42-day battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The family would like to thank the staff at the Oncology Department at St. Cloud Hospital and the Quiet Oaks Hospice for their wonderful care. He is survived by wife, Mary; daughters, Lynn (Bill) Eggert of Milaca and Heidi (Rob) Nelson of St. Michael; grandchildren, Andy Eggert, Jenna (Jordan) Kovarik, Ellie Nelson, Miah Nelson and Lillie Nelson; great-grandchildren, Hanna and Sara Kovarik; brother, Bob (Janice) Anderson of Foreston; sisters-in-law, Bonnie (Gary) Leason of Blackduck and Nola Swedin of Kansas City, MO; aunt, Alma Anderson of Monore, CT; also by nieces, cousins, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother and mother and father-in-law, Clarence and Mildred Swedin.