Anderson, Roger Wendell Dr. 1924 - 2017

ANDERSON, NEWGARD, DANNEN, IHEDIWA

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/19/2024 at 21:00:45

Dr. Roger W. Anderson (aged 93) died on December 26, 2017 in Mercy Hospital (Janesville, WI) after a brief illness.

A Memorial Service celebrating his life will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 16, 2018 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah.

Visitation will begin at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, one hour before the service, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Inurnment will be in Phelps Cemetery in Decorah with Full Military Honors by Decorah’s Veterans and Military Organizations, and U.S. Army personnel.

Roger Wendell Anderson was born on September 30, 1924 in Newry (Freeborn County), Minnesota, the second of three children of Alfred and Esther (Newgard) Anderson. His parents were proprietors of a rural general store and Roger did much to help his parents in the operation of the business.

He graduated from Blooming Prairie (Minnesota) High School in 1941 and attended Luther College for two years before being inducted into the Army in July, 1943. After basic training at Fort Benning, GA, Roger went to Northeastern University in Boston, as part of the Army Specialized Training Program. After that program was curtailed in 1944, he was assigned to the Anti-Tank Company of the 101st Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division, which was on maneuvers in Tennessee. The division was then sent to Fort Jackson, SC for final training before being sent overseas. After landing in Normandy in September, they were sent to eastern France. The Battle of the Bulge followed in December 1944/January 1945, for which service Roger was awarded the Bronze Star. He was then sent to England for surgery in order to qualify for Officer Candidacy School. When the war ended in Europe, he was sent to Asten Lager in Austria, a camp for Yugoslav displaced persons. He was honorably discharged in March 1946.

Roger returned to Luther in the fall of 1946 and graduated cum laude in May 1948, with a composite major in social science. He started his teaching career in Clara City, MN, where he taught history and physical education and was head coach of football, basketball, and baseball. While in Clara City, he met and married Alma (Amme) Dannen, who had completed nursing training at St. Barnabas Hospital in Minneapolis. They were wed on November 22, 1950. Two sons were born to this union: Kevin (a recently retired Superintendent of the Elmwood Park, IL K-12 district) and Marshall (a professor of Theatre/Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

In 1953, Roger and Amme moved to Willmar, MN, where he taught history and coached tennis and basketball. The summers of 1953-1956 were spent in Missoula, Montana, where Roger earned a Master’s Degree in History. In 1958, the family moved to Decorah, where Roger became an assistant professor of education at Luther. In 1962, he was awarded a PhD in Secondary Education from the University of Iowa. In 1964, he became Luther’s Education Department head, a position he held until 1985. In that year, he became Registrar and Associate Dean of the College. Roger retired in August, 1989 and during his entire time in Decorah, he was an active member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Roger and Amme moved to Whitewater, WI in 2013 to be closer to family.

Throughout his career at Luther, Roger was active in numerous professional groups. He served on several state commissions and task forces and spent a term as President of the Iowa Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. He was also very active in Phi Delta Kappa (PDK), an honorary fraternity of educators. Inducted as a member in 1959, he was instrumental in the formation of the Northeast Iowa Chapter in 1971. After serving as the delegate to several international conferences, Roger was elected PDK District Representative in 1983. From 1985-1991, he was Vice-President of PDK. Over his 8-year period on the Board of Directors, he made over 150 trips to meetings throughout the United States. In addition, he directed PDK travel seminars to Scandinavia, the British Isles, Greece, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

Other professional activities included serving on 17 superintendent search committees for Iowa school districts and a 6-year term as an officer of the Iowa Retired School Personnel Association, for which he served as President from 1997-1999.

Since 1993, he presented dramatic reviews for over 14 books for a group in Fairfield Bay, AR – many of which were also done for churches, service clubs, and other groups throughout the Midwest. He was also a 47-year member of the Decorah Lions Club, serving in many positions with the group.

Throughout his life, Roger was a baseball enthusiast: he played for amateur and semi-pro teams from 1947-1956 and was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. He also enjoyed people to the fullest and was known as a person who rarely forgot the names of former students or acquaintances. He was known for his wry sense of humor and as a level-headed yet fun-loving man. He will be greatly missed by family and friends alike.

Roger is survived by: wife Amme Anderson (Whitewater, WI); sons Dr. Kevin (Dr. Cindy) Anderson (Oak Park, IL) and Marshall Anderson (Whitewater, WI); grandchildren Mark (Tanya) Anderson (Middleton, WI) and Lindsey (Charles Ihediwa) Anderson (South Milwaukee, WI); and great-grandchildren Lily and Sam Anderson (Middleton, WI); as well as several nieces and nephews and many cousins.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.

Memorials may be made to the Dr. Roger and Amme Anderson Endowed Scholarship at Luther College, c/o Development Office, 700 College Drive, Decorah, IA 52101.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Phelps Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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