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Submitted: 1/13/12 • Approved: 8/10/19 • Last Updated: 8/13/19 • R146316-G0-S3
Valley Springs - Leland Anderson, age 83, passed away on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer's.
Funeral service will be 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 7th, at Beaver Valley Lutheran Church in rural Valley Springs, with burial and military rites by American Legion Post 15 of Sioux Falls, to follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will begin at 2:00 PM on Friday at George Boom Funeral Home, Brandon Chapel; with the family present to greet friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the funeral home in Brandon.
Leland Dean Anderson was born Wednesday, November 4th, 1925 on the Martin Anderson homestead near Valley Springs, SD, to parents Melvin and Marjorie (Urquart) Anderson. Leland moved, at the age of eight, with his parents and brother Marlyn to the Urquart farm west of Valley Springs. He graduated from Valley Springs High School in May of 1943. He was a member of the District 18 Championship basketball team. In September of 1943 he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. He served in the South Pacific aboard the destroyer USS Radford, a highly decorated warship, as a Sonar Man Third Class. The ship engaged in heavy combat and was severely damaged while Leland served on board. He returned home after the war and married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Olson, in April 1946. They were married nearly sixty-three years at the time of his death. Leland and Joyce moved to the farm north of Valley Springs, in 1952 where they thrived operating a family farm while raising three sons. Leland was a representative for Lutheran Brotherhood Insurance for more than thirty years.
Leland was active in his community and Beaver Valley Lutheran Church his entire life. He loved playing softball as a young man; fishing, hunting and watching his sons play sports. He sang at many weddings, funerals and special occasions. He taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, mens chorus, and served on the Beaver Valley Lutheran Church board. Leland was a dedicated, loving husband and father with a very deep faith in God and a kind, compassionate friend to all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, three sons, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and many loving nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.
Relatives and friends are invited to gather with the family for lunch and fellowship at the church following the committal service.
Contributed on 1/13/12 by christin2424
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Record #: 146316