Arlene Ruth Anderson, age 79, of Cambridge passed away Monday, February 11, 2008 at The Villages of North Branch.  Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, February 15th at Cambridge Lutheran Church with Pastor David Everett officiating.  Mary Falk and Delores Oslund will serve as vocalists and Mary Kay O’Neill as organist.  Pallbearers will be Rick Hicks, Jon and Joseph Kirchberg, Jeff, Scott and Troy Travis.  A visitation will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 14th at Strike Funeral Home - Cambridge Chapel  and also 1 hour prior to the service Friday at the church.  Interment will be in the church cemetery. 

Arlene Ruth Anderson was born October 4, 1928 at Whittlesey, Wisconsin to Rudolph and Helen (Schwabenhausen) Neumueller.  She was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Whittlesey.  Arlene also attended Whittlesey schools.  On August 24, 1946 she married Casper Anderson of Little Black Wisconsin.  To this union they had 5 children.  In the 1958 the family moved to Cambridge, Minnesota. 

Arlene worked at several jobs during her life besides being a homemaker and a mother.  She retired from Control Data in 1974.  In her spare time Arlene loved to do needle work, sew, work in her flower garden and spend time with her family and friends.  She especially enjoyed spending time with her friend of 50 years, Hilda Christenson.

Arlene was an active and faithful member of Cambridge Lutheran Church.  She volunteered her time helping with the sewing group, Shalom Shop, crocheting baby layettes and mittens, and folding church bulletins every Friday.

Arlene will be lovingly remembered by her four daughters; Lois Johnson of Fridley, Lonna (Glen) Erickson of New London, Judy (Mark) Norman of Cambridge, and Sandy (Keith) Johnson of Isanti; five brothers, Arnold of Menomonee Falls, WI, Harold (Von) of Medford, Melvin (Irma) of Medford, Ralph (Ginny) of Medford, and Vern (Mary Ellen) of Rockford, IL; three sisters, Viola Anderson of Medford, Dorothy (Jim) Broeren of Minocqua, WI, and Esther (Clarence) Schafman of Rockford; by 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; and by many other relatives and friends. 

She was preceded in death by her parents Rudolph and Helen; husband, Casper; son, Allen; brother, Harvey; three grandchildren, Kevin Anderson, Mark Travis and Susan Johnson; son-in-law, Roger Travis; brother-in-law, Paul Anderson; and two sisters-in-law, Helene and Tilly. 

Those we hold most dear never truly leave us…they live on in the kindness they showed, the comfort they shared and the love they brought to our lives.