J. Elwood "Woody" Andersen, 88, of Scranton ND, passed away on April 13, 2023.

Funeral Services for Woody will be on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Pierce Congregational Church, rural Scranton, ND.  Pastor Mary Wiggins will officiate with burial to follow in the Pierce Congregational Cemetery.  There will be a Family and Friends Service on Friday, April 21, 2023 at the Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Home Chapel in Bowman beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation will be from 12-9 at the Funeral Home Chapel on Friday and one hour prior to services on Saturday at the Church.

Elwood Andersen was born October 2,1934 to Pearl (Fleming) and Johan Andersen on the family farm.   Elwood joined older siblings, Donald, Harriet, Robert, and Richard.  He attended Woodbury Township School through the 8th grade.  He then graduated from Scranton Public High School in 1952.  After graduation he attended NDSSS in Wahpeton, ND to study automotive mechanics.   He took spring quarters off to help Johan on the farm.   After finishing his program at NDSSS, he worked in Rugby ND at the Chevy Garage and then ventured to Southern California in the winter of 1956 to work in an airplane factory before returning to the Scranton area in 1957.

In the summer of 1957, he went to a barn dance (though he never did dance throughout his life) and met the love of his life, Geraldine Maychrzak.  They were married August 9, 1958 at Pierce Congregational Church.  Johan and Pearl retired from farming and Elwood and Gerry continued on the family farm, growing grain crops and raising cattle.   They had 3 daughters who helped on the farm and with the cattle while growing up.  Elwood and Gerry worked the farm for 61 years, retiring in 2019.

Elwood loved his cows, eventually raising registered Black Angus.   He and Gerry were very active in the ND Angus Assn with Elwood serving on numerous committees.  They went on several Angus tours and often attended the National Western Stock Show.   Elwood participated in the Annual Bull Test in Dickinson and was recognized and honored by the NDAA for his contributions to the breed in North Dakota.

He always enjoyed baseball, both as a player and as a fan.   He played with a local team and followed the Brooklyn Dodgers in his youth.   When the MN Twins started playing in the 1960's, he became a loyal and ardent Twins fan.   Elwood spent hours in his tractor/combine listening to their games.  He and Gerry played in a softball league in Scranton for years.  Later, he took much enjoyment and pride in watching and listening to his grandsons play baseball.

Elwood was active in his community and through the years participated in ag related associations.  He served on the Slope County Fair Board, Slope County Soil Conservation Committee, was a clerk for Woodbury Township and served on the Board of Directors for Slope Electric Cooperative.

He enjoyed visiting with people.  Often, very often, when driving home from town, he would stop and visit with friends.   It would take him an hour or more to make a short drive!   Farming was not just a job, but his life.  Even in "retirement", he would rev up a tractor to disc a fire break or disc the trees (at home and at the Pierce cemetery).  One of the greatest joys in his last years (besides playing Rummy) was to take out the old white Ford pickup and tour the neighborhood, checking the progress of each field and soaking in the beauty of this sweet land.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his four siblings, his nephews; Jerome, Neal and Norman, and niece Jeanette.  He is survived by Geraldine, his wife of 64 years, his daughters Jonell, Naomi (Joe Lawrence), and Karen (Chris Spahn), and 2 grandchildren, Jon & William Spahn.   As well , his sister-in-law, Bunny Buckman, brother-in-law, George Maychrzak, and many nieces, nephews, and wonderful, wonderful neighbors and friends.

We will all miss you…  We already do.

Memorials may be given to :  ND Junior Angus Assn. (Cleveland ND), Amidon Fire Dept. (Amidon), and Pierce Congregational Church (Scranton), or an organization of your choice.