My dad, Mark Lloyd Anderson, handed away a number of weeks in the past on 11/25/24. He suffered from Parkinson's illness for a few years, he was recognized already in 2012.
In latest months, he has grow to be far more in poor health and has been in hospital and rehabilitation services after a fall and extreme choking. A number of weeks in the past, after they knew he wasn't getting higher, they put my dad in hospice.
After every week or two it was clear that his time was coming to an finish. Fortunately, all of us had the prospect to return and say goodbye, give him one final hug and kiss, sing him the songs he cherished and let him know the way a lot he meant to us.
The day after we mentioned goodbye, my mother and the hospice music therapist sang “Come Thou Fount of Each Blessing” to my dad round 1:20 within the afternoon. They observed that my dad was respiration labored and appeared to cease respiration once in a while however he would at all times begin respiration after a break.
They sang a music that ended with these becoming phrases:
Right here is my coronary heart
Oh, take and seal it
Seal it up in your judgments above
As they completed singing, the visiting angel nurse indicated that my dad had stopped respiration. He was monitored however didn’t resume respiration and handed at 1:24 p.m. It was as if the phrases of the music have been meant for us, and it was an acknowledgment that he was now in God's courts above along with his savior.
I’m grateful that his final moments have been peaceable and that my mom and music therapist despatched him to heaven.
My Dad's Early Life
Dad was born in December 1946, the primary born son of Fred and Mae Anderson in Minneapolis. He was a Christmas Eve child and will likely be getting the brief finish of the stick in terms of Christmas and birthday presents for the remainder of his days. He grew up in a giant household with a lot of love that included 4 brothers: John, Paul, Joel and Matt.
Dad's ardour for music was evident at an early age. He and his future spouse, Jan, performed within the orchestra collectively at each Roosevelt Excessive Faculty and the College of Minnesota. Dad and Jan married after school and opened their hearts and residential to 3 foster youngsters: Dan, Shawn, and Jenny. They embraced the challenges and joys of fostering whereas serving their group. When Jan died in January 1973 after a protracted battle with most cancers, my father grew to become a 26-year-old widower and a single father.
Shortly thereafter, I’m grateful that God introduced a godly girl from his church into my life, my fantastic mother, Nancy. They shared the identical values, a love for Jesus and music and have been married in October 1974. They only celebrated their fiftieth anniversary this October!
Collectively they created a stupendous life and had 3 sons, 3 daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren. My two youngsters affectionately known as him Far Far, which implies “father's father” in Swedish.
My dad as a household man
Rising up, I at all times revered my dad. He appeared to know a lot and attain so many issues that I couldn't even start to grasp.
One of many biggest issues Dad gave us was the present of his presence. I do know that a whole lot of youngsters from our generations didn't have dads that lived with them or had dads that weren't emotionally current. For Tom, Stevie and I, our dad was at all times there for us, whether or not it was serving to us with music classes, taking part in basketball within the driveway, wrestling on the ground, constructing one thing in his workshop, or praying with us or encouraging us.
Dad was at all times a loving husband to my mother, bringing her flowers, supporting her in some ways and giving her a kiss earlier than leaving for work. He confirmed what a husband needs to be.
Though he was good to my mother, he additionally favored to play together with her and at all times discovered somewhat mischievous pleasure in letting mother prepare him. His quietly sarcastic humorousness typically obtained her going, and it at all times ended with Mother exclaiming, “Oh, Mark, truthfully!”
For my father, music was one among his native languages, he spoke the language of musical notes. He might play any stringed instrument, from viola to guitar to banjo.
As a violinist I understand how laborious taking part in strings may be, however my dad made it look simple. I vividly bear in mind asking my dad to play Orange Blossom Particular on the viola. For these of you unfamiliar with this piece, it's a troublesome, quick violin piece that leaves your strings smoking on the finish. Dad performed the music at tremendous velocity, his bow flying throughout the strings whereas me and my brothers danced furiously. It appeared really easy to him. He was like that with a whole lot of issues.
Love of music and lively life
My mother and pop shared a love of music. My mother sang in her lovely soprano voice whereas my dad accompanied her on the viola or guitar. Over time now we have been blessed to listen to my mother and father sing and play lots of of gorgeous hymns, worship songs and different tunes collectively.
Whereas music was crucial to his father, it was not his solely curiosity.
He was a really lively particular person. I at all times bear in mind him whether or not he’s biking, working, snowboarding or skating. For a few years, Dad rode his bike to work each morning, whatever the climate. Even in his later years, when he had Parkinson's illness, he nonetheless rode his bike recumbent when he was ready.
One in all my favourite private reminiscences of my dad goes cross-country with him, simply the 2 of us, on a chilly, darkish winter night time in Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. We have been the primary to make our approach by means of the contemporary, glowing snow, our breath making clouds within the air. I at all times adopted proper behind my father and adopted in his footsteps so I wouldn't fall. Now that I give it some thought, following in my dad's footsteps is one thing I've at all times tried to do, and never simply once I was snowboarding with him as a 10-year-old.
A very powerful factor for my father – his religion
A very powerful factor in my father's life was his religion in Jesus Christ. My dad modeled a lifetime of prayer and repair all his life. Not solely did he train us methods to stroll, however he gave us a godly instance to observe. He was an instance of Christ's love for our household and for that I’m endlessly grateful. I’ll at all times bear in mind waking up early within the morning to seek out my father in his examine, both praying (typically for us) or doing a Bible examine.
He was not a preacher, however he lived his religion in motion, serving his household, serving others by means of his church, and thru his chosen careers as a trainer and social employee in group emergency companies by means of Augustana Lutheran Church. .
In his later years, as he handled Parkinson's illness and his eventual decline, I feel Dad felt an pressing must share his religion with others. On the time, he shared with me a letter he had written known as a “neighbor's story” that he would give to new neighbors who moved in or simply met. In it, Dad talked about his journey by means of life and the way a lot of his life occurred within the Powderhorn Park neighborhood the place he had lived for thus lengthy. He married his first spouse Jana after which misplaced her to most cancers. He met my mother, obtained married and had 3 sons, raised them and watched them develop up, get married and begin households of their very own. He performed along with his 8 grandchildren. He planted yard gardens there for 50 years. It was a stupendous life, however like all of us, it doesn't final endlessly and Dad was conscious of that. He wrote:
It was an amazing group to boost our household in, with good neighbors, quiet streets, and an exquisite pure useful resource at Powderhorn Park. I don't have a particular timeline for leaving Elliot Avenue, but it surely's inevitable that in the future I'll transfer into some good retirement constructing or my heavenly residence.
In John 14:1-4 it says
Don’t let your hearts be concerned. Belief in God; belief me too There are lots of rooms in my father's home; If it wasn't, I might inform you. I’m going there to arrange a spot for you. And if I’m going and put together a spot for you, I’ll come again and take you to myself, in order that the place I’m you might be additionally.
My father continued his letter,
I might additionally like to ask you to grow to be my neighbors in heaven. John 3:16 says:
For God so cherished the world, that he gave his solely begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shouldn’t perish, however have everlasting life.
I do know dad wished it shared at his funeral. That he want to invite you to be his neighbor in heaven. He would need you to know that God loves you and that He despatched His solely son to earth to present you everlasting life and peace in Him. All it’s a must to do is imagine in Him and obtain Him into your coronary heart.
If you want to learn his letter, you could find it right here: A neighborhood story
We’ll miss you dad
Dad, thanks for every part you’ve gotten achieved for me, our household and people round you in the neighborhood. We’ll miss you, however I do know you might be in a greater place, ache and sorrow free, Parkinson's free, taking part in a cheerful tune in your savior.
I look ahead to seeing you once more in heaven to worship our savior collectively.
For individuals who could be , here’s a video of his funeral on 12/7/24.
