Burton "Burt" Eugene Andrus

Burton “Burt” Eugene Andrus passed away peacefully at the age of 87 surrounded by loved ones, at Riverside Transitional Care in La Crosse, WI. He was born June 27, 1935 to Anna (Merrow) and Arthur Andrus. He was the second of three boys. Burton grew up on a farm in the Sparta Area. He graduated from Sparta High School. He found the love of his life Rita (Ray) Andrus who was the sister of his best friend, Fred Ray, then married her in 1958. The couple lived in La Crosse, WI for most of there marriage only moving to Dubuque, IA for a short while for work.

They raised three children together. Burt worked at a number of jobs over the years, including The Great Surplus Store, and as a cashier & stockman at K-Mart. He later found his true passion as custodian for First Ev. Lutheran Church and school. He loved all the children who came to school every day. He especially enjoyed them asking How’s Ernie?” To which he would pull out his Ernie figurine and tell them a story of how Ernie Was that day. Along with his Ernie collection, Burt loved NASCAR and was a huge Matt Kenseth fan. After retiring from First Ev. Lutheran, Burt went on to enjoy time with his wife Rita, and his grandchildren. Burt was preceded in death by his parents, Anna (Merrow) and Arthur Andrus. He was also preceded in death by his brothers Francis and Ronald Andrus and their wives, his brothers-in-law, George Ray, Fred Ray, Robert Ray, and John Ray and his sisters-in-law Theresa Ray, Della(Allan) Stetzer and Pearl Ray.

Burt is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Rita (Ray) Andrus. He is further survived by his three children Addie (Rodney) Lathrop, Eugene (SueAnn) Andrus, and Pearl (Mike) Havlik. Eight grandchildren, Michelle (Jim) McGee, Daniel and James Lathrop, Ashley, Cynthia and Bethany Andrus, and Kaeko (Mason) Jacobs and Tamiko (Steven) Chafer. He is also survived by three great grandsons Corey, Jacob, and Zackery DeMerchant.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 11:00 AM at First Ev. Lutheran Church, La Crosse. Pastor Richard Pamperin will officiate. Entombment will be in the Garden of Peace Mausoleum, Woodlawn Cemetery. Friends may call at the church on Thursday from 10:00 AM until the time of services.

We respectfully request that in lieu of flowers a donation to First Ev. Lutheran school or The Alzheimer’s Association would be greatly appreciated.