Larry Anderson

Friday, April 21, 2023 9:05 am

Larry P. Anderson, a prince who quietly walked among us, passed away on Feb. 21, 2023, surrounded by his family.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 5, 2023, at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah with Rev. Donald Hertges presiding. Burial will be in the St. Benedict Cemetery. There will also be a celebration of Larry’s life held at the St. Benedict Parish Hall following the service.

Visitation will be at 12:30 p.m., prior to the service on Friday, May 5, 2023.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association http://act.alz.org/goto/AndersonLarryP

Larry was born to Marjorie and Maynard Anderson on October 21, 1937, in Mason City, Iowa, where he grew up fishing for anything that would bite; and hunting pheasants, rabbits and deer with his Dad (Andy) and his brother Crocket (Dave). After graduating from high school, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in both Tucson, AZ and at Goose Air Force Base in Labrador. While he was in the Air Force, he met Elizabeth (Betty) Kriener, who would become his wife and lifelong partner.

After getting married, Larry attended Drake University and studied business. Upon graduation, he was hired by the General (Motors), and spent 30+ years wearing multiple hats working for Cadillac. During his tenure there, he and Betty relocated many times across the United States, finally landing in Michigan where they eventually retired. Of the many positions he filled at Cadillac, his last role, as Director of Event Marketing was his favorite. As part of that role, he obtained his hot air balloon pilot license and went on to fly the Cadillac hot air balloon at events in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Aspen, Colorado; and Paris, France.

Larry and Betty were a good Catholic couple, and had a family of five kids: Daniel, Gwenn, Marjorie, Lori and Gerald (who heard these names often when they needed some additional “guidance”). He loved to go camping with his family, and explore the mountains, north country, and wilderness lakes. During these excursions, he racked up countless miles in the family car, to a constant chorus of “Are we there yet?” and “I need to pee.” His patience was legendary… never losing his cool on those fishing trips where he sat at the helm of his 14’ aluminum yacht, pipe tightly clenched in his teeth, spending more time untangling the lines of his five kids than he actually spent fishing. That same patience was also frequently on display for his sons and grandsons while engaging in his other passion, deer hunting, as he patiently napped while waiting for that big buck to walk in front of his blind.

Above all, Larry loved his family, his grandchildren/great grandchildren, and the many friends with whom he established relationships over the years. Larry always taught his kids that the key to success in life was cultivating the ability to build relationships, and no one was better at it than he was. He had countless friends, was a great listener, and was always willing to provide thoughtful advice and mentoring when asked.

Larry’s rich legacy will live on through his wife Betty, his children Dan (MaryBeth), Gwenn (David), Margie (Jim), Lori (Bill), and Jerry (Sherry); his grandchildren: Chris (Margie/Jim); and Keagan, Tatum and Renick (Dan/MB); and great grandchildren: Davis and Landon (Jerry/ Sherry), and Harley Rose (Keagan/Alex).

While he will be missed, he will always be present in our hearts during those times and in those places he enjoyed the most…the chaos of a holiday dinner table, a mirror calm lake at sunrise, the stillness at dusk in a fall woods, and storytelling by a warm campfire at the end of the day.

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