Lawrence Andersen

Lawrence "Andy" Andersen, age 82, of Milbank died Monday, November 24, 2014, at St. Williams Care Center.

Funeral services will be Saturday, November 29, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at Valley Baptist Church in Milbank. Burial will follow in Milbank City Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday evening at Valley Baptist Church and will continue on Saturday for one hour prior to the time of service.

Lawrence Peter "Andy" Andersen was born on December 19, 1931, on a farm about seven miles northwest of Irene, SD in Turkey Valley Township to Peter L. Andersen and A. Marie (Jensen) Andersen. Pete and Marie were children of Danish immigrants.

Andy attended Turkey Valley District #68 school and graduated from eighth grade in Irene following the family's move to the town in 1944. He and his mother were regular attendees at the Turkey Valley Church of the Nazarene until it closed. Then they attended the Viborg Church of the Nazarene.

Andy graduated as valedictorian from Irene High School with the class of 1949, and was a cum laude graduate of the University of South Dakota in 1953. There he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in music education. As a USD student, Andy was active in several honorary fraternities and musical organizations. He organized and directed the USD ROTC band, and was assistant conductor of the USD concert band.

In January 1953, Andy was united in marriage to Joanne Burges, of Milbank, in Denison, Iowa. They spent the summer of 1953 in Minneapolis, where both were employed, before moving in the fall to Arlington, S.D., where Andy was hired as the school's music director.

Following the death of Joanne's father (Charles Burges), they moved with their two small children to Milbank in the summer of 1958 to work at the Burges family business, the Milbank Herald Advance. The entire family, including Joanne's mother, Lucille, worked at the combination newspaper and print shop. The Andersens became sole owners in 1971. In 1985, they sold the business because Mrs. Andersen's reduced physical capabilities following her being diagnosed in 1983 with multiple sclerosis. She continued working as a writer, columnist, and piano teacher. Andy semi-retired and worked part-time as production supervisor at Midland Publishing and Printing, in Milbank. He retired from the business world in 1992 and was sole caregiver for Joanne until her death, in 2006.

Andy was a long-time member of the Kiwanis clubs in Arlington and Milbank and was vice-president and secretary of the Milbank club. He also served several terms as a board of directors member of the Milbank Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2002, he was chosen to be a year-long contributor to "Dakota Comment," a feature in the Sunday Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Andy is survived by his son, Charles (Amy) Andersen of Kildeer, IL; daughter, M.J. Andersen (Andrew Nixon) of Attleboro, MA; grandchildren Eric and Carrie Andersen; and brother, Elton (Ruby) Andersen of Riverside, CA.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Joanne; and brother, Kenneth Dale.