Nancy Jane Anderson

Nancy Anderson, 75, resident of Little Falls formerly of Rice, passed away on Saturday, May 17th, 2025 at St. Otto's Care Center in Little Falls. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, May 29th at 11:00 A.M. at Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church in Rice, with Pastor Tim Schiller officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service. The burial will be held at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls.

Nancy Jane Anderson was born on July 28, 1949 in Benson, MN to the late Merlin and Viola (Tomschin) Miller. She attended school and graduated from Benson High School. She attended vocational school for one year and received her bookkeeping diploma. Nancy was united in marriage to Charles Anderson on November 27, 1971 at Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church. The couple made their home in rural Pennock, MN for 10 years before moving to Rice, MN. While living in Rice, Nancy served one-term as the Mayor of Rice. Nancy worked at Welders in Willmar and Napa Auto Parts in Little Falls as a bookkeeper.

Throughout her life Nancy was very active in her community; receiving The Jefferson Award, Women Making History Award, and many volunteer plaques from the city of Rice and the Sauk Rapids/Rice area schools. She wrote a grant to fund the playground equipment at the Rice Lion's building. Nancy was a member of Rice Color Guard, Rice Legion Auxiliary, and Shepherd of the Pines Church. Nancy was a troop leader for Girl Scouts and the Campfire Boys & Girls Club. She volunteered, teaching craft classes for Community Ed, and making Valentines for Vets at the VA Hospital. She enjoyed crocheting, Chicken Scratch, Embroidery, Mission Quilting, and Bags of Love. Over 15 years ago, she battled a rare form of brain cancer, but knowing her first grandson was on the way helped her fight and survive. With the cancer life expectancy just 12-18 months, she told her Oncologist they would need to re-write the book, because she wasn't letting the cancer prevent her from seeing her first grandchild (Gabriel) grow up. The past several years she battled Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare degenerative disease similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Charles Anderson; daughter, Teresa (Rob) Johnson; son, Simon (Amber Bisbee) Anderson; siblings, Kathy (Jay) Rein, Rod (Barb) Miller, Eric Miller, Mark (Kim) Miller; grandchildren, Gabriel, Keegan, Xander, Gunnar, and Willa; sisters-in-law, Carol Miller and Sandi (Tom) Gunter; brothers-in-law, Joel Anderson and Jerry Anderson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Merlin and Viola Miller; mother and father-in-law, DeWayne and Dorothy Anderson; two brothers, Terry Miller and Jerry Miller; brother-in-law, Scott Anderson; and sister-in-law, Jean Miller.

Emblom Brenny Funeral Service is Cherishing the Memory and Celebrating the Life of Nancy.