Ruth Lillian Anderson

Ruth Lillian Anderson died on Monday, August 9, 2021, in La Crosse, Wis., at the age of 98. She was born in 1923, the first of three daughters to Kenneth and Cora Aas of Westby, Wis. Ruth began college at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. During WW II, she served as a staff nurse at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in Chicago. In 1948, she returned to Luther College to complete her Bachelor’s degree and to serve as the school nurse where she met James Anderson from Rio, Wis. The two wed in 1950 and remained married for sixty-six years until his death in 2016.

Ruth worked as a nurse in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., Lindsborg, Kan., and then at what is now the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. In 1971, she received her Master of Science in Education Degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. From 1970-1988, Ruth was an instructor in the nursing program at what is now Western Technical College in La Crosse. She was one of the founders of the Practical Nursing and Technical Nursing programs there. Although Ruth was passionate about all aspects of health care, she primarily taught psychiatric nursing because of her deep concern for mental health especially among youth and veterans. Ruth served on the Board of Directors of the Family Service Association of La Crosse and Lutheran Campus Ministry. She received certificates of appreciation from the Veterans Administration, the Learning Center, and from the Friendship Program for her work in Hmong resettlement. A deeply religious person, Ruth combined prayer, study, worship, and social action to lead a life that reflected her faith. She rarely missed worship or any chance to serve at her congregation, English Lutheran Church in La Crosse, where she was a member since 1961. Proud of her Norwegian heritage, Ruth was a stalwart member of the Yggdrasil Club.

Ruth is survived by four grateful children: Judy Anderson and husband, Kim Brown, of Fort Myers, Fla., David Anderson and wife, Priscilla Paton, of Northfield, Minn., Paul and wife, Kathy Anderson, of Wausau, Wis., and Mark and wife Beverly Anderson of Waverly, Iowa; by seven loving grandchildren: James Anderson and wife, Ishanaa Rambachan, of San Francisco, Cal., and Ruth’s twin great grandchildren, Aadyaa and Amiyaa Anderson, Marta Brown of Las Vegas, Nev., Elizabeth and husband, Seth Maloney, of Washington, DC, Kelly and husband, Andy Smisek, of San Diego, Cal., Kristi Anderson of Wausau, Wis., Michelle Anderson of Minneapolis, Minn., and by step-grandchild Samantha Swisse, her husband Chris, and their children, Macy, Alice, and Mackenzie of Wausau, Wis. In addition to her husband, James, Ruth was also preceded in death by an infant brother, Robert, and by her two sisters, Annette Hoggatt and Phyllis Stillwell.

Ruth will be remembered as a hard worker, a loving wife and mother, a caring nurse and teacher, and a determined advocate for those in need. There will be a family funeral service later this month.