Surnames: Andersen, Moe, Wood, Baago, Mutka, Tyburski, Socha, Cherry, Rengle, Shaw, Smith

----Sources: Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wis.) 18 Aug. 2004

Andersen, Dan (23 July 1908 - 11 Aug. 2004)

Dan Andersen FLORAL CITY, Fla. - Dan Andersen, 96, of Floral City, Fla., formerly of Owen, died Aug. 11, 2004, at Arbor Trails Health Care Facility in Inverness, Fla., where he had resided for more than a year.

Funeral services for Dan will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Nazareth Lutheran Church in Withee. The Rev. Dean Moe of Grace Lutheran Church, Washington, D.C., Dan's son-in-law, will officiate. Burial will be in the Nazareth Lutheran Cemetery, Withee.

Earlier funeral services were held Aug. 16, 2004, at Heinz Funeral home in Inverness, Fla., with the Rev. Gregory Wood officiating. The Rev. Wood is pastor of the Floral City United Methodist Church, where Dan was a member for the last several years and where he was a member of the Bible study class.

Dan was born July 23, 1908, to A.P. and Johanne (Baago) Andersen, in Luck, while the family lived in Askov, Minn. When he was 5, the family moved to a farm north of Withee. He attended grade school and high school in Withee and continued to be a resident of the Owen/Withee area for most of his life, farming in the towns of Hixon and Green Grove. Dan was also employed by the Clark County Health Care Center in Owen for many years prior to his retirement.

On Sept. 18, 1934, he married Wilma Mutka at her family's home in rural Owen. The couple had four children and were married 50 years before her death in 1985.

Dan was an active member of the former Bethany Lutheran Church in Owen and then Nazareth Lutheran Church in Withee, serving in various church offices. He also served for many years as school board president and PTA chairman for the rural schools his children attended, Hixon Heights and Bee Hive.

In 1985, Dan moved to Florida to escape the harsh Wisconsin winters, settling first in Crystal River and later in Floral City when he married Elizabeth Tyburski. He and Betty were married June 17, 1989, when he was almost 81. They were married 15 years before his death.

Dan enjoyed music, playing the saxophone when he was young. In retirement he learned to play the clarinet and organ. He also enjoyed gardening, especially planting orange and grapefruit trees.

Dan is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; four children, Dr. John (Elizabeth) Andersen of Verona, Anita (Dean) Moe of Washington, D.C., Dr. Arthur (Lucille) Andersen, Ames, Iowa, and Alice (John) Socha of Spring Grove, Minn.; four stepchildren, Joanne (David) Cherry of Pinellas Park, Fla., Sandra Rengle of Deland, Fla., Susan Shaw of Floral City, Fla., and Casey (Denise) Tyburski of Rovenna, Ohio; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and eight stepgrandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers-in-law, Voitto Mutka of Owen, and Vilho (Mildred) Mutka of Eagle River; and a sister-in-law, Ann Mutka of Kansas City, Mo.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Wilma; his parents; a brother, Skjold Andersen; and a sister, Agnes Smith.

Dan's children are especially grateful for his dedication to his family. He was always firmly committed to his children's education through grade school and high school; through 4-H, FFA projects and music lessons; and on through college, making sacrifices and encouraging them so that they could succeed. His family and friends will also miss his faith and his dedication to the church. And they will miss his keen sense of humor and the way he saw good in everyone, no matter who they were.

Maurina Funeral Home of Owen assisted the family with local arrangements.