The community and region remember a longtime area resident and dedicated state lawmaker today (Monday).
Minnesota Senator Bruce Anderson passed away unexpectedly on July 21st at the age of 75.
Bruce grew up on a rural dairy farm, and later served in the U-S Navy during the Vietnam War. He then served in the Minnesota Air National Guard, and the U-S Air Force Reserves.
He and his wife, Dottie shared a deep faith and passion for politics, and raised their family in Buffalo. They were part of the founding group for two different Free Churches in the Wright County area. Dottie passed in 2006 of cancer. Bruce was alone for a period of time, but through church, met Ruth, and they were married in 2009. Ruth became a great partner for Bruce, and they enjoyed attending parades, political events, and the Wright County Fair.
In his political life, Anderson was well known in St. Paul. He served in the Minnesota House from 1995 through 2012. He was then elected to the Minnesota Senate, where he served from 2013 to the present. He was known as a champion for both agricultural concerns and military veteran causes.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson called Anderson “…a dedicated public servant, loving family man, and dear friend to many at the Capitol and in Buffalo.”
Governor Tim Walz said on social media that Senator Anderson was “…a steadfast advocate for those who served our nation, and he will be missed in the Senate chamber.”
Among local GOP lawmakers in our area, Bruce was looked to as a friend, and respected mentor.
State Representative Joe McDonald says his time with Bruce went back to when McDonald was involved in city government in Delano. McDonald told KRWC Radio News that when he was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2010, he gladly accepted leadership from then Representative Anderson…
“I looked to Bruce on all of my votes, to make sure I was voting the Wright way, because Bruce was known as a stalwart conservative…someone who was reliable, dependable, he did his homework, and was a trusted friend.”
McDonald said he greatly respected the balance between regular life and political life that Bruce displayed…
“We had a lot of fun together. This is a job, a tough job at times with very tough issues that we work on and debate…but you have to enjoy life and enjoy God’s gift that he gives us to be able to publicly serve the people of Wright County, and Bruce did that so well. People can rest assured that their elected officials are doing what’s best for Minnesota in a caring, compassionate and respectful manner. And that was Bruce Anderson.”
State Representative Marion Rarick of Maple Lake says without hesitation that long before she became active in politics, Bruce Anderson saw potential in her and laid the groundwork for her eventual run for the legislature by involving her in numerous GOP events…
“…dinners, fundraisers, I got to meet Governor Pawlenty, I got to visit him on the House floor, he would bring me to the caucus meetings…so I got to meet people there.”
Rarick says all this preparation work led to a big turning point in 2012 when Anderson was ready to announce his bid for the Minnesota Senate…
“When the Senate seat opened up, when Amy Koch said she wasn’t going to run again, he turned to me and said Marion, it’s time, are you ready to run for my seat? I said, no…no I’m not ready. He got that dad voice on and he said…well Marion, it’s either now or never, and he said you need to go think about it. So I did end up running, and then, he mentored me through that whole process. So, he and I went back to the very beginning, I wouldn’t be in the legislature without him. He was a father figure in my life that was just ever-present. He was just so kind, so gentle, so patient. He would take time for everyone. I will miss him. He was like a father figure to me, my mentor, my dear friend. He will always be remembered in my heart. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
State Representative Marion Rarick.
The funeral services for State Senator Bruce Anderson are scheduled for today at the Buffalo Covenant Church. Interment with military honors will be held at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Options for Women-Cornerstone of St. Michael, or Impact Christian Academy of Buffalo.
