Walter Ernest Anderson

Walter E. Anderson, age 94, Clark, died peacefully in the Prairie Lakes Hospital at Watertown, SD early Sunday morning, October 27, 2013. Memorial services will be held on Monday, November 11, 2013(PLEASE NOTE DATE) at 10AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark with The Reverend Jen Tyler officiating. Music will be provided by Wendy Christman singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Peace in the Valley". Burial with full military rites will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Following the burial and military rites, all are invited to return to the funeral home reception area for a dinner and a time of fellowship with the family. Walter Ernest Anderson was born on May 16, 1919 at Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, the son of Ernest and Bertha (Bourn) Anderson. He was baptized into the Methodist Episcopal Church on May 2, 1920. The family moved to Highmore, SD in 1928 and then into Clark in 1936. In 1939 Walter joined the National Guard unit in Clark. In February of 1941, the unit left Watertown with the 34th Signal Company for training in Ireland. They were the first American Division deployed to Europe after Pearl Harbor. He landed in North Africa, then onto Italy and Naples before landing on the beachhead at Anzio. After the battle at Anzio, he was on to the liberation of Rome after which the Germans surrendered to the Allied Forces. Besides being the first division to Europe, the 34th "Red Bulls" set a record for the most combat days at 517, most defended hills taken, and most casualties per capita. Walter was awarded the Bronze Star for his extremely meritorious conduct in the performance of his services to our country. After returning from his military service overseas, Walter married Gardena Deuter on January 1, 1948 at Clark, SD. The couple lived and farmed 4 miles west and ½ miles south of Clark. In 1976, they sold the farm and moved into Clark. Walter worked for many years for Terrill Farms, the Clark Farm Store, Clausen Construction and Oscar's Machine Shop for many years before running his own welding business. Walter was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Cagley-Smith American Legion Post #60 of Clark. He had received citations from the Clark County 4-H Clubs for his outstanding service to the 4-H over the years. Grateful for having shared in his life are his four daughters, Laura (Tom) Conzet of Clark, SD, Cynthia Anderson and Judy Rider both of Minneapolis, MN and Mary Jo (Gary) Pullman of Wrangell, AK; as well as five grandchildren, Jennifer, Angela, Andy, Randi and John. Preceding him in death was his wife of 62 years, Gardena, his parents ad his sisters; Harriet (Emery) Peters, Helen (Robert) Smith and Marjorie (Wayne) Handke. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com