Colleen Anita Anderson

Colleen Anita Larson Anderson, passed away on July 12, 2021 in Parker, Colorado. She was born June 17, 1931 to Walter and Anita Larson in Juanita, North Dakota. Colleen joined three older brothers Carlton, Clifford, and Virgil. When her mother died of a ruptured appendix three months after Colleen’s birth, Colleen’s father was left with four children under age four. Walter married Rose Glaser in October, 1934. Three more brothers Ronald, Thomas and Lyndon were born. As the only girl, Colleen learned housekeeping chores at an early age. Cooking, canning and meal preparation was endless on the farm, feeding six men and plus hired help. In spite of chores, she developed her creativity at a young age to make things look the way she wanted with what was available. She remade her mother’s dresses and coats into clothing for herself and later remade her own clothes into clothing for her children.

Colleen was an excellent student at the country school she attended, and then at Carrington High School from which she graduated in 1947, a few weeks before her 16th birthday. Colleen was a nurse’s aide in Carrington before obtaining a job at the local telephone office, where Robert (Bob) Anderson stopped in one day to pay his bill and found the love of his life.

Colleen Larson and Bob Anderson were married August 18, 1949 in Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, and celebrated 67 years of marriage before Bob died in 2016.

Colleen and Bob had four children: Spencer Jay, Sandra Colleen, Michelle Marie and Lisa Jo. Colleen was a Cub Scout Den Mother (Ft. Morgan, CO) and a 4-H Leader (Sterling, CO), a fifty-year PEO member, a bowler, and a passionate bridge player. Colleen loved planning the annual vacations the family took with their tent trailer throughout the United States and across Canada.

She gardened, sewed, and traded recipes with Redgie Bohnet, her best friend of fifty years who she met when Bob’s career took them to Fargo, ND. They lived there for forty years before retiring as snowbirds to Mesa, AZ and spending summers in Detroit Lakes, MN. Colleen was a twenty-year member of the Sunland Village Women’s Golf League. In their retirement, she relished international travel with Bob, going to Scandinavia, England, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. On a trip to Italy and Greece with daughter Lisa and granddaughter Laura Colleen, she remarked she had never imagined she would see the sites that she had studied long ago in Carrington High Latin class. While Colleen excelled at many things, being “Grandma” and “Gigi” was no doubt her favorite role.

Colleen was preceded in death by her husband Bob Anderson, her parents, her brothers Carleton, Clifford, Virgil, Ronald, and Thomas; her sisters-in-law June, Norma, and Barbara Larson. She is survived by her four children Spencer (Eileen) Anderson, Glendale, AZ, Sandy (Bill) Hartigan, Castle Rock, CO, Michelle (Keith) Arguello, Castle Rock, CO, and Lisa (Charlie) Buck, Detroit Lakes, MN; eleven grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren, her brother Lyndon (Julie) Larson, Olathe, KS, her sisters-in-law Renee Larson, Gettysburg, SD and Gloria Larson, Billings, MT and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Faith Lutheran Church 303 Ridge Rd. Castle Rock, CO 80104 on August 2, 2021 at 11 am with lunch to follow. Committal will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN on August 18, 2021 at 9 am.

Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Hospice of the Red River Valley,1701 38th St S Ste 101, Fargo, ND 58103; Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E Flower St, Phoenix, AZ 85014 or PastorServe for Adam and Alyssa Reck. PastorServe is a ministry that helps to strengthen churches by providing coaching and consulting to pastors around the nation. Alyssa is Colleen’s niece and her husband Adam will be on staff to specifically coach youth pastors after having served as one for 20+ years. Donations fund Adam’s salary and budget for his ministry. https://pastorserve.net/give (Click Donate Now and Select Adam Reck as your designation)