Albin "Andy" Anderson

albin

Albin W. Anderson of Fargo, North Dakota, died peacefully in his home Wednesday.  He was 77 years old.

He was born July 11, 1935, to Albin S. and Helen G. Anderson.  His parents were the Burleigh County nurse and engineer, respectively.  It was a second marriage for the widow Helen Gill and a first for bachelor Albin S. Anderson.  Andy, as he was called, grew up in Bismarck.  He set records for truancy in his freshman year of high school, accidently running into the principal when he dropped in for the first time to hear Christmas music in December. 

To the surprise of his classmates, he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1953.  Following high school, he worked on the railroad for a year in order to buy his first rifle.  He joined the Navy and was honorably discharged as a Sonarman First Class in 1958.  He returned to North Dakota and attended Bismarck Junior College, Montana State University (Bozeman), and North Dakota State University, graduating in 1961 with a major in Entomology. 

In January 1962 he married Beth C. Evanson, also from Bismarck.  He earned an M.S. in Zoology from Washington State University in 1964 and a Ph. D. from Iowa State University in 1969.  He joined the Department of Entomology at NDSU in the Spring of 1969, where he worked until his retirement in 1996.  He spent the majority of his career working with sugar beet growers throughout the Red River Valley.  He supervised the doctoral studies of many graduate students in Entomology. 

Andy was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting.  After his son was born in 1972, Andy was much more likely to do his hunting with a camera rather than a gun.  He became an avid fisherman and was a long-time member of Muskies, Inc., practicing catch-and-release when he fished each summer at Leech Lake.  Andy also enjoyed camping, taking his son Seth plus a potty chair camping in the Badlands when Seth was two-and-a-half years old.

Through his son Seth, he was involved with the Fargo Flyers and the Boy Scouts of America.  Later in life he lavished attention on his grandsons, Kenan and Caleb, and his daughter-in-law, Kirsta Berg Anderson, whom he cherished with all his heart.  He enjoyed their visits immensely, and later used technology to keep in touch through Skype conversations.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his older sister Janice.  He is survived by his brother, Jim Anderson (wife Ardene), of Hoyt Lakes, MN; his sister, Kay McDonald (husband Adrian), of Bismarck; brother-in-law Bruce Evanson (wife Barb), of Bismarck; sister-in-law Kay Lang (husband Wayne) of Rapid City, SD; his son Seth and former wife Beth, both of Fargo; his grandsons Caleb and Kenan, with their mother Kirsta, of Kelso, WA. 

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  1. Vail COMy heart has been heavy since learning of Andy’s passing. I am so sorry I was not able to attend the funeral. He was the world’s greatest neighbor and taught me many valuable lessons growing up. He was always there for Chris and I – watching a little too closely when my mom was gone 🙂 I have many fond memories of him in which he will live – he will be truly missed.

  2. I was one of Andy’s grad students and had a great time with him and the whole entomology staff at ND
    SU. I had such a great time that I set a record for longest time to get a Master’s degree until Jay Bjerke broke it. I’m still employed as an entomologist/extension agent for the University of Nebraska so I must have learned something. He will be missed.

  3. Dublin OhioAndy was among my favorite profs and favorite people in the Entomology Department at ND
    SU. As I was a native Minnesota
    n (and therefore dubbed by him as a “jackrabbit choker”) we would make digs at each other regarding the superiority of ND
    v.s MN
    , but it was always affectionately done and in good fun. We were perfect foils for each other, which entailed many practical jokes. I fished with Andy several times, hunted with him once, and it was a real joy for me. In the classroom and in his research, he was among the best. Andy was a wonderful part of one of the best times of my life, and I will truly miss him.

  4. Fargo ND
    I am sorry to be unable to attend Andy’s funeral. We spent many hours together at sugarbeet meetings and out in sugarbeet research plots over the years he worked at ND
    SU. I greatly enjoyed working with Andy and was sorry when he had to take early retirement. He contributed a lot to the sugarbeet industry regarding insect control especially control of the sugarbeet root maggot. His research helped save the sugarbeet industry in the northern Red River Valley where the root maggott was devastating the sugarbeet crop in many years.

  5. Heaven took one of the good guys this week. We are so sad to hear Mr. A has left us. He truly was one of the most kind and generous people we have had the extreme pleasure of knowing. We feel so fortunate to have called him a dear friend.
    Our hearts are heavy.
    Our sincere condolences to his family.

    Troy, Laura & Sara.


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