Virgel Rolland Anderson

January 9, 1922 - January 24, 2010

Dr. Virgel R. Anderson went to be with the Lord on January 24, 2010. He was born in Scranton, North Dakota on January 9, 1922 to homestead settlers Albert and Esther Anderson in a sod house with a dirt floor. He spoke of the hard work and the early rising on the farm, which contributed to his strong work ethic.

After high school graduation in 1939, he attended Missouri State College and then Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery in Kirksville, MO, graduating in 1945. He moved out west to Washington State following the path of a number of his relatives, having previously spent summer vacations there. He interned at Waldo Hospital in the north end of Seattle and started his practice in the Greenwood District of Seattle, where he practiced until 1984. Virgel enjoyed helping his patients, and his appreciation for their concerns resulted in a large general practice which often kept him busy from early morning into the evening.

He was invited by relatives in the Everett, WA area to visit and attend Central Lutheran Church. There he observed an attractive girl in the choir named Rhoda Mae Lee. After some focused attention and deft persuasion on Virgel's part, they were married on July 21, 1946. They bought a home on Lake Washington and over several decades raised their 6 children, living an active life around family, church, water sports, boating, and walking. Virgel enjoyed people and their home was often the site for large gatherings of relatives, church members, and friends.

Virgel was active in his church, Christian schools, the Osteopathic Medical Association, Boys Village, Toastmasters, and other philanthropic organizations. He engaged in a variety of activities from serving on the boards of organizations, to giving stewardship messages to church groups, to being regularly interviewed regarding medical advice on the local radio program "Over the Coffee Cup".

He was preceded in death by his wife Rhoda in 1996, his sister Delores Cobbett Flaim in 2005, and his brother Dr. Donald Hedman Anderson in 2006. He is survived by his six children: Donald (Diane), Gary, Dennis (Janyce), Susan (Ralph Ljunghammar), Alan (Lori), Lynn, eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He will be remembered as a wonderful caring father to his children and their families. Virgel's abiding faith in his Lord and Savior and his demonstrated concern for the spiritual and physical well-being of his family, his patients, and others have been the hallmarks of his life. We will miss him in this life and thank God that he has "fought the good fight", "finished the race", and "kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).