A funeral service for Mary Anna Anderson be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, Nebraska with Vicar Libby Florian, officiating. Interment will follow at Prairie Home Cemetery, Holdrege.

Mary Anna Anderson, 90, of Holdrege, died on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. She was born August 28, 1935 at McPherson, KS, the eldest of three children of Clarence J. and Myrtle (Hawkinson) Carlson. She was baptized and confirmed at the New Gottland Church of McPherson, KS. She attended country grade schools in McPherson County and graduated as an honor student from McPherson High School with the class of 1953. She pursued higher education at the Immanuel School of Nursing, Omaha, NE where she received her R.N. degree.

On July 14, 1956, she was married to Robert C. Anderson, Holdrege, at New Gottland Lutheran Church of McPherson, KS with Rev. Paul Hawkinson, Mary Anna's uncle, officiating. While Robert finished his medical schooling, Mary Anna worked as a surgical nurse at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. Three sons were born to this union: Robert Scott, Mark Thomas, and Daniel Paul. In 1958, they moved to Ainsworth, NE where Dr. Anderson joined the Ainsworth Medical Clinic.

Mary Anna was involved in several community and church activities. She served as a Sunday School Teacher and part time organist at First Methodist Church. She served on the Ainsworth Library Board and as their president. In 1967, the family moved to Holdrege, NE where Dr. Anderson established the Family Medical Clinic where Mary Anna helped in the office during the first year. They became members of the Bethel Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday and Bible School and directed a children's choir. She served on the Church Council and was elected to the first Bethel Foundation Board. She updated the church library in 1971 and, except for a few years, served as the church librarian. She took 3 semesters of pipe organ at the University of Nebraska in Kearney and was one of the church organists. In 2011, Mary Anna became a part of the Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, ELCA, a mission church, in downtown Holdrege. She was a faithful member there until her passing. Music was very important in her life. After further study in piano and pedagogy, she started teaching private piano lessons in 1978, and taught until her husband retired in 1990. She enjoyed the children and felt so rewarded when music meant something to them. In Holdrege, she was active in the Phelps Memorial Service League in its beginning years, a member and past president of Chapter H, P.E.O., served as a mentor at Holdrege Middle School and has been a Teammate there for several years. She was a member of the Community Concert Board and also served on The Tassel Board. She was a volunteer at Holdrege Memorial Homes playing for their Sunday Chapel services.

After her husband's retirement, they traveled to several foreign countries and visited many sites in the US. Mary Anna continued to travel after her husband's death and went to Sweden with her sister and then made 3 different trips to Tanzania, Africa with the Nebraska Synod ELCA group. Mary Anna and her husband were honored to be the Swedish King and Queen in 2000-2001.

In 2006, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends holding an open house at The Tassel. Along with her music, Mary Anna enjoyed her family, friends, reading, and working with plants and flowers. Her faith and church were very important to her and enjoyed affirming her faith each morning with her daily devotions.

Besides her parents, Mary Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Robert Anderson, a brother, Dr. Gordon Carlson and his wife Kathy, a sister, Carolyn and her husband Pastor James Haase, and brother and sister-in-law, Wilbur and Ardelle Anderson. She leaves to celebrate her life, her three sons: Dr. Robert (Sandy) Anderson, Fort Collins, CO, Mark Anderson (Delia) New Lenox, IL, and Dr. Daniel (Karen) Anderson Mankato, MN; seven grandchildren: Dan Anderson, Little Rock, AK, Krista (Jarrod) DuPriest, Little Rock, AK, Marissa (Chuck) Armour, New Lenox, IL, Tyler Anderson, Kansas City, KS, Rachel (Josh) Steinhorst, Rochester, MN, Matthew (Amy) Anderson, Minneapolis, MN, and Stephanie (Alex) Goettl, Byron, MN; ten great-grandchildren: Jackson and Cooper Martin DuPriest, Bennett, Lily, and Eve Steinhorst, Charles "Chuckie" and Iliana Amour, Aidan and Rory Anderson, and James Goettl. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are kindly encouraged to: Phelps County Community Foundation, Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, or The Tassel Performing Arts Center. Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.

Published by The McPherson Sentinel from Nov. 14 to Nov. 19, 2025.