Our deeply beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather Carmen Marion Anderson passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2020, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at the age of 93.

Carmen was born on Oct. 30, 1926, in Newry Township, outside of Austin, Minnesota. He worked at Hormel, served in the U.S. Army and attended Kilgore College in Texas for a draftsman degree. He returned to the family farm in Corning, Minnesota, to pursue farming and raise his own family.

Carmen had a passion for hand milking Jersey cows and hitching a team of Belgian draft horses. He enjoyed singing, especially his favorite song, “Red River Valley,” playing his guitar and records. His passions included fishing, poetry, canning, making caramel, mowing lawns, auctions and biennial Waverly, Iowa, horse sales. Everyday he drove his wife to work at Hormel (many times in his favorite red cattle truck) and took the grandkids to school. He rarely missed a Sunday at St. Olaf Church, an episode of “The McLaughlin Group,” or sitting through “The Golden Girls” with his wife.

Carmen was the hardest worker and gave everything, yet was the most fulfilled and satisfied gentleman. He lived a very full life right up until the end, where he was a caretaker for his wife and a babysitter to his three great-grandchildren, who he undoubtedly adored and deeply cherished. He made a significant contribution taking on the role of a father to the upbringing of his two grandchildren. Carmen was best known for his happy-go-lucky personality, patience, and ultra kind and compassionate spirit.

He is survived by his beautiful wife of 69 years, Lorraine Evelyn (Hilmer) Anderson; their only child, Victoria (Anderson) Kilian; grandson, Jeffrey Kilian; granddaughter, Olivia (Kilian) Johnson (husband Jason); great-grandsons, Lucas, Axel and Brooks Johnson; and his loving sisters, Connie Benson (husband Clifford), Bette Ladd (husband Nelson) and Jean Vanberg (husband Richard). He was preceded in death by his parents, Mamie (Grant) and Clarence; and sisters, Muriel Ingvalson (husband Lawrence), Shylah Berg (husband Lowell), Gloria Graff (husband Marvin) and LaVonne Gaddis (husband Glenn).

A memorial service honoring this great man will be held at a later date. We thank him for his love towards others and the legacy he left here on Earth. He is forever in our hearts.