Obituary of Lois H.C. Anderson

Lois Helen Christine Edstrom Boline Anderson, age 94, a resident of Pillars of Highland Park, died on Thursday, December 3 at St. Therese at St. Odilia’s Hospice after a long illness. Lois is preceded in death by her parents The Rev. Arthur and Ellen (Edlund) Edstrom, her husband Elwood Faulk Boline, her husband from a second marriage The Rev. Donald Anderson, her three brothers and their spouses, Carl and Lois Edstrom, The Rev. Paul and Ruth Edstrom, and David and JoAnn Edstrom, and a step-grandson George Anderson.

Lois is survived by her children: Barbara Speakman of Eagan, Patricia (Gary) Hafvenstein of Minneapolis, The Rev. James Boline (Christopher Ma) of Los Angeles, stepchildren Janet (Harold) Carter of Clinton Township, MI and Paul (Synneva) Anderson of River Falls, WI, grandchildren Todd (Julie) Speakman, Joel (Fiona) Hafvenstein, Kyle (Tami) Speakman, David (Heidi) Hafvenstein, Cory Speakman, Kirsten Hafvenstein (Travis) Zimbelman, step-grandchildren Raymond Anderson and Aaron Anderson, and nine great-grandchildren.

Born June 28, 1926 in Jamestown, New York, Lois grew up in a Lutheran pastor’s family. The Edstroms moved from Falconer, NY to Sabylund, WI, rural Vermillion, SD, Cokato, MN, and Alta, IA where Augustana Synod congregations had called Lois’ father to serve. Lois graduated from Vermillion (SD) High School, attended Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, and became a licensed practical nurse through the Chicago School of Nursing. She worked as a nurse in the Cokato Hospital and Dakota Hospital, Vermillion, SD and later as a medical receptionist in Vermillion, SD (Medical Arts Clinic and Green Chiropractic) and Minneapolis (Bloomington-Lake Clinic).

At the heart of Lois’ being was a living and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. Baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran tradition, she was an active member of Dalesburg and Trinity Lutheran Churches, both Vermillion, SD, Augustana Lutheran Church, St. James, MN, and Trinity Lutheran Church of Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis. Lois’ clear soprano voice was a gracious gift to the choirs of those congregations, and she also was active in their women’s organizations. After the unexpected death of her beloved husband Elwood Boline in 1983, Lois traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal to serve as a volunteer with the United Mission to Nepal (UMN) where her daughter and family served as missionaries. Many years later, Lois’ grandson Joel would become the executive director of the UMN. In 1988, Lois married retired Lutheran pastor The Rev. Donald Anderson of St. James, MN and together they enjoyed many years of travel and companionship until his death in 2009.

Those who knew Lois knew her to be a brilliant light of God’s grace, radiant with the love of Christ. She loved to tell the story of Jesus and his love, and instilled the love of that story in the hearts of her family so that it would continue to be told and proclaimed to the glory of God.

Her family wishes to thank the loving staff and residents of Pillars of Highland Park for their love of Lois, and the compassionate staff of St. Therese at St. Odilia’s in conjunction with Fairview Hospice for their care in Lois’ transitional weeks of life on earth.

A memorial service is planned for June with graveside rites at Dalesburg Lutheran Cemetery, in rural Vermillion.

Memorials may be given to the United Mission to Nepal (www.umn.org.np) or World Mission Prayer League (www.wmpl.org).