Martha”Betty” Anderson, age 95, of Cambridge passed away December 25, 2007 at Grandview Chirstian Home in Cambridge. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, December 28th at Strike Funeral Home – Cambridge Chapel with Rev. Norman Norland officiating. A time of visiting will be held 1 hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Wildwood Cemetery in Wheaton, MN.
Martha Elizabeth Anderson was born November 12, 1912 in Minneapolis to Charles and Ora (Derby) Burmaster. She attended Robert Fulton Elementary School and graduated from West High School in Minneapolis, Class of 1931. On August 16, 1935 she married Wallace Lowell Anderson and they made their first home in Argyle, Wisconsin. They moved many times over the years; including Shorewood, Wisconsin, Cambridge, Massachusetts. When her husband attended Harvard their next move was to Syracuse, New York where Wallace was the New York State soil conservationist. They then moved to Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria, Minnesota, Mesa, Arizona. After retirement the Andersons bought three acres of land on the banks of the Long Prairie River near Carlos, Minnesota. They built a house and spent nine happy years at Birch Bend, where they developed wildlife habitat by planting trees and shrubs. They also grew small fruits, vegetables and many annual and perennial flowers. They bought an Airstream travel trailer and joined the Wally Byam Caravan Club. They participated in club caravans to Mexico, Western Canada, Eastern Canada and Alaska. Their six-month caravan to Europe, visiting 26 countries, was done in a Volkswagen camper. Their tour of New Zealand and Australia was done in rented motor homes and by airlines. They settled in Cambridge, Minnesota 20 years ago.
Betty was an active member of Baptist and Presbyterian Churches until her move to Cambridge when she joined the Cambridge United Methodist Church. She was also a member of the Harvard Dames. She loved playing bridge, playing the piano, painting, knitting and she baked the best chocolate cakes and made the best pie crusts. Betty had a wonderful sense of humor. She was kind and loving and was the very best mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a very supportive person, she supported the underdog and she was also very independent and brave. If she thought she should do something she would dare to go ahead and do it.
Besides her parents she was preceded in death by her loving husband Wallace 1999, sister, Jean Vaughan, brother, Charles Derby Burmaster and son-in-law, Elmo Erickson.
Betty is survived by her two daughters, Nancy (Douglas) Easter of Cambridge, Karen (Terrold) Conway of Houston, Texas; 6 grandchildren, Jeffrey (Irina) Erickson of Bemidji, Kathy (Kurt) Hahnel of Port Richey, Florida, Darcy (Buster) Fritche of Cambridge, Kelly (Andy) Bauer of Beloit, Wisconsin. Kristen (Kevin) Ryan of Houston, Texas, William Conway of London, England; 10 great-grandchildren, Madeline Erickson, Kyle and Kristian Hahnel, Rachel, Adam and Joseph Fritche, Erin and Caleb Bauer, Molly and Sydney Ryan; and by many other relatives and friends.