Pastor Paul F. Andersen

Pastor Paul F. Andersen, age 85, of Decorah, IA, died Monday morning, March 11, 2013 at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah, IA. Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, March 16, 2013 at Decorah Lutheran Church with Pastor Dave Sorenson and Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Pastor Paul Frederick Andersen was born on February 6, 1928 to Arnold H. and Pearl (Jacobson) Andersen in Blair, Nebraska, where his father was attending the Danish Lutheran Seminary. The family moved to Geneva, Minnesota; Kankakee, Illinois; and then to Neenah, Wisconsin. Paul considered Neenah his real hometown. In 1946 he graduated from Neenah High School. In 1950 he graduated from St. Olaf College, majoring in biology. After some graduate studies in biology, he attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating and being ordained at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on May 22, 1955. On June 17 that year he married Sarah Pfeiffer in Washington, D.C. at St. James Lutheran Church where her father was pastor. Both fathers participated in the ceremony. Paul's first parish was at Gilbert Lutheran Church in Gilbert, Iowa. In August 1958 the Andersens moved to Wisconsin where Paul served Perry Lutheran Church (rural Mt. Horeb) until 1964 and then served St. John Lutheran Church in Boscobel, Wisconsin until 1990. For a number of years he was on the board of Wisconsin Lutheran Social Services. Paul was instrumental in establishing Sugar Creek Bible Camp in Ferryville, Wisconsin. He was a faithful, hardworking, and caring pastor. In October 1990 he and Sarah retired in Decorah, Iowa, where Paul enjoyed many Luther College basketball and football games, and reading at the college and public libraries. Paul was a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan. He enjoyed the outdoors – pheasant and grouse hunting with his son and good friends, bird watching, and gardening. One of his gifts to his family was to encourage each of them to notice carefully the wonders – great and small – of the natural world. He was a kind and loving husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Sarah, daughter Rachel (David) Faldet of Decorah, Iowa, son David (Linda Kinkel) Andersen of Forest Lake, Minnesota, and daughter Gretchen (Kurt) Belgum of Atlanta, Georgia. Also by six grandchildren – Elizabeth (Jimmy Eriksson) Faldet, Pearl Faldet, Nathaniel Andersen, Margaret Andersen, Erik Belgum, and Kate Belgum. Also his sister Ann (Duane) Hoven of Rochester, Minnesota, nieces Beth (Jon) Rotto of Decorah, Maren (Jeff) Dale of Nordland, Washington, nephew John Hoven of Stillwater, Minnesota, and great nieces Ingrid Rotto and Clara Dale. In lieu of flowers suggested memorials are the Aase Haugen Home, 4 Ohio Street, Decorah, IA 52101, Winneshiek Medical Center, 901 Montgomery Street, Decorah, IA 52101 or Decorah Lutheran Church, 309 Winnebago Street, Decorah, IA 52101.