Obituary of Faye Ellen Anderson

Faye Ellen Anderson, age 87, died on September 25, 2020 at Garden Valley Retirement Village in Garden City, KS. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Ben, husband Carol (Andy) N. Anderson, and earlier this year by her sons Nils and Jerry. She is survived locally by her daughter Kristin and grandson Zachary, sons Mark O. Anderson (wife Susan) of Bellevue, WA and Charles Anderson of Naples, FL, sister Lou Hoover (husband Rod) of Topeka, KS, and grandsons Matthew (San Francisco), Christopher, and Grant (Chicago). 

Faye Ellen was born on July 12, 1933 in Natoma, KS to Louis Beisner and Lila Hankins.  She met husband Andy there directing the high school band and vocal music and coaching football. They married on May 20, 1953 and were together for 41 years.  In Natoma, she worked with her mother, the editor of the Natoma-Luray Independent newspaper. They later lived in Effingham and Russell, where she was activities secretary at the high school.  They moved to Garden City in 1970, where Andy taught vocal music at Garden City Community College and Faye Ellen worked, first in the Santa Fe Trail Council, BSA office and then as window clerk until her retirement with the United States Postal Service.  

Faye Ellen was the ultimate Mother and beloved Grandmother - steady, calm, resilient, positive, patient, curious, smart, loving, and generous. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Finney County Senior Center, Order of the Eastern Star, church circles, and the Garden City Civic Choral Union.  Favorite family activities were playing cards and games and working puzzles together. She was a fierce bridge player, playing weekly with dear friends. She enjoyed riding bikes with Zach and tending her garden.

Faye Ellen remained the active, loving caregiver of her household into 2020, seeing her special son Nils safely into God’s hands.  She cared deeply for those facing challenges in life. Faye Ellen knew that, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the still postponed memorial service for Nils and then unexpectedly, heartbreakingly Jerry,  would probably, in the end, include her. She can now rest in peace and join Nils, Jerry, Andy, and others in Heaven. 

The memorial service for Nils, Jerry, and Faye Ellen Anderson will be held on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 2 pm at First United Methodist Church in Garden City, Kansas.

Memorial gifts are suggested in lieu of flowers to

Team Elanor, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation , 400 S Colorado Blvd Ste 840, Denver, CO  80246,

in honor of her grand-niece Elanor, daughter of Clarissa Hoover of Albuquerque, New Mexico.