Welcome!We have created this web site to celebrate the life of Joan Andersen, wife and mother. Joan had many friends, of all ages. She passed away on February 16, 2006 at the age of 76.
We miss her and and have love for her beyond words. Many friends have shared stories with us in recent days that are on the one hand not the least bit surprising, but on the other hand miraculous and inspiring. For us, these stores and thoughts are priceless gems that speak of a life invested in others and making this world a better place.
We'd like to honor her with this online memorial, and welcome you to share your thoughts. Joan was a very bright and spirited person, yet she preferred straightforward conversation and honesty in sharing.
If you have trouble posting, don't worry. You can simply do any of the following:
email to: richarda@cnxus.com
call: 408-410-1213
fax to: 775-243-1628
postal mail to: 2204 Gunar Drive, San Jose CA 95124
Warmly,
-Robert, Richard, and John Andersen
The obituary for Joan, which was run in The Daily Interlake on February 21, 2006 is included below.
______________________________________________________________
Joan Park Andersen, 76
Joan Park Andersen went to be with the Lord on February 16, 2006, at her home on Flathead Lake with her family by her side.
Joan, often called Joanie by her friends, was born September 21, 1929 in Amarillo Texas, the daughter of Arthur and Olive Park. She grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from Lewis and Clark high school in Spokane, Washington.
She attended Saint Patrick’s Nursing School in Missoula, graduating in 1950. Upon graduation, she worked in Oakland, California, Missoula and Butte until she relocated to Kalispell to be close to her parents who had retired and built a home on Angel Point, just south of Lakeside. Joan spent the majority of her fifty year nursing career working in the Kalispell family practice offices of Dr. Robert Benke and Dr. Bruce Allison. She was very fond of the doctors and colleagues she worked with and also the many patients she came to know as friends.
She married the love of her life, Robert Andersen, on May 19, 1962 and joined with Robert in caring for stepson Robert J. and stepdaughter Kathy. Robert and Joan gave birth to two boys, Richard and John, and raised them in Kalispell.
Since Joan’s father’s work had required her family to move several times during her youth, she vowed that “her boys” would have the opportunity to start and graduate from the same school system. They did, and for that they are very grateful. The family also attended First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell for many years, and Joan helped establish faith and an appreciation for church community as central elements in the life of her family.
Joan was wonderful at making and capturing memories. She was quick to laugh, had a natural gift of hospitality, and loved nature and the Flathead. She did many wonderful things that went largely unnoticed, simply because she liked to help people and didn’t seek attention for herself. She took two young ladies into her home while she had toddlers herself and helped them through their own childbearing experiences. Many stories about her kindness have emerged in recent days and have given the family much comfort. If readers of this notice wish to call or write, they are welcome to do so. The family is also preparing an online memorial to Joan at http://joanandersen.blogspot.com/
where you can share your memories of Joan.
Robert and Joan together shared a love for camping, entertaining on Flathead Lake, visiting relatives in many Western states, and the lovingly spoiled dogs that shared their homes and lives.
In 1990 Robert and Joan built their retirement home on Flathead Lake near Somers and in recent years were blessed with several new additions to the family. John and his wife Stacey, along with their boundlessly enthusiastic children – grandkids Megan (4) and Nathan (2) – frequently visited from Kalispell while Richard and his wife Ursula made many trips and called often from their home in San Jose, California.
Joan was a woman with a tremendous capacity to care, and loved many people and many aspects of God’s creation. She loved hummingbirds, Glacier Park, flowers, Erma Bombeck’s humor, her trips to Portugal, Hawaii, and Scotland, staying in close touch with friends and a large extended family, and exchanging letters. She had beautiful handwriting.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur L. and Olive Park, of Lakeside and sister Patricia “Patsy” Gilbertson of Tucson, Arizona. She is survived by her immediate family mentioned earlier and brother Arthur H. “Art” Park of Kent, Washington.
A memorial service celebrating Joan’s life will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell on Friday, February 24th, at 1:00 pm.
The family suggests that donations in memory of Joan be made to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana.
Joan Park Andersen went to be with the Lord on February 16, 2006, at her home on Flathead Lake with her family by her side.
Joan, often called Joanie by her friends, was born September 21, 1929 in Amarillo Texas, the daughter of Arthur and Olive Park. She grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from Lewis and Clark high school in Spokane, Washington.
She attended Saint Patrick’s Nursing School in Missoula, graduating in 1950. Upon graduation, she worked in Oakland, California, Missoula and Butte until she relocated to Kalispell to be close to her parents who had retired and built a home on Angel Point, just south of Lakeside. Joan spent the majority of her fifty year nursing career working in the Kalispell family practice offices of Dr. Robert Benke and Dr. Bruce Allison. She was very fond of the doctors and colleagues she worked with and also the many patients she came to know as friends.
She married the love of her life, Robert Andersen, on May 19, 1962 and joined with Robert in caring for stepson Robert J. and stepdaughter Kathy. Robert and Joan gave birth to two boys, Richard and John, and raised them in Kalispell.
Since Joan’s father’s work had required her family to move several times during her youth, she vowed that “her boys” would have the opportunity to start and graduate from the same school system. They did, and for that they are very grateful. The family also attended First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell for many years, and Joan helped establish faith and an appreciation for church community as central elements in the life of her family.
Joan was wonderful at making and capturing memories. She was quick to laugh, had a natural gift of hospitality, and loved nature and the Flathead. She did many wonderful things that went largely unnoticed, simply because she liked to help people and didn’t seek attention for herself. She took two young ladies into her home while she had toddlers herself and helped them through their own childbearing experiences. Many stories about her kindness have emerged in recent days and have given the family much comfort. If readers of this notice wish to call or write, they are welcome to do so. The family is also preparing an online memorial to Joan at http://joanandersen.blogspot.com/
where you can share your memories of Joan.
Robert and Joan together shared a love for camping, entertaining on Flathead Lake, visiting relatives in many Western states, and the lovingly spoiled dogs that shared their homes and lives.
In 1990 Robert and Joan built their retirement home on Flathead Lake near Somers and in recent years were blessed with several new additions to the family. John and his wife Stacey, along with their boundlessly enthusiastic children – grandkids Megan (4) and Nathan (2) – frequently visited from Kalispell while Richard and his wife Ursula made many trips and called often from their home in San Jose, California.
Joan was a woman with a tremendous capacity to care, and loved many people and many aspects of God’s creation. She loved hummingbirds, Glacier Park, flowers, Erma Bombeck’s humor, her trips to Portugal, Hawaii, and Scotland, staying in close touch with friends and a large extended family, and exchanging letters. She had beautiful handwriting.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur L. and Olive Park, of Lakeside and sister Patricia “Patsy” Gilbertson of Tucson, Arizona. She is survived by her immediate family mentioned earlier and brother Arthur H. “Art” Park of Kent, Washington.
A memorial service celebrating Joan’s life will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell on Friday, February 24th, at 1:00 pm.
The family suggests that donations in memory of Joan be made to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana.
posted by Unknown @ 8:46 AM
2 Comments:
At 10:47 AM,
Anonymous said…
Joanie led many people to the Lord thru her chosen avocation, her profession, her love of animals, especially dogs and birds, and even in her times of illness and poor health. She never turned her back on any person or creature in distress. For this she will always be remembered and cherished in our hearts.
Tim, Sharon, Matt & Rebecca Schorn
At 2:47 PM,
Anonymous said…
This story reminded me of the animal-lover in Joanie...
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch
that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate
looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"
"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.
"I'm sorry sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and
continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump."
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then
he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," he answered.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope.
That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."
Soooo...
Sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding jokes to us without
writing a word.
Maybe this will explain.
When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward jokes.
When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you
forward jokes.
When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how, you forward jokes.
Also to let you know that you are still remembered, you are still
important, you are still loved, you are still cared for, guess what you get?
A forwarded joke.
So, next time if you get a joke, don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.
You are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime.
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