Bob Anderson passed away peacefully on May 16, 2018, at Good Samaritan in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

He was born in St. Peter, Minnesota, to John E. and Dorothy (Osborne) Anderson. Bob graduated from Le Sueur High School in 1964 and attended Mankato State, where he played collegiate baseball.

Bob was drafted into the United States Army in 1968 and was deployed to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for basic training. He subsequently spent 68-69 in Vietnam as a light infantry weapons man assigned to an armored personnel carrier unit, First Squadron, First Cavalry Regiment. His unit was positioned in I Corps in the Chu Lai area, south of Da Nang, Vietnam. I Corps was the northern most theater in South Vietnam, closest into the demilitarized zone, and in 1968-69 experienced some of the fiercest combat of the Vietnam War. Bob earned the distinguished Army Commendation Medal in recognition of his meritorious service. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army in early 1970 and returned home to Minnesota.

Bob and Valerie Baldwin were married in 1971 and made Owatonna, Minnesota, their home for 40 years. Bob was an entrepreneur who owned and operated several businesses. His professional life culminated with a long career at National Computer Systems, later Pearson NCS.

In 2008, Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which was directly attributed to his military service in Southeast Asia. Bob fought a brave and courageous battle in the face of a debilitating condition.

Bob loved his family, friends, and country. His passions were playing golf, spending time at the lake with his family, volunteering his time at VFW Post 3723, including the Steele County Funeral Unit, and anything else that kept him on the move.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Val, Owatonna; sons, Jake and Vince, both of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; daughter, Danielle (Dave) Serritella, Chicago, Illinois; brother, Ron, Le Sueur, Minnesota; sisters, Barbara Halloran, Edina, Minnesota, and Betty (Arlee) Randall, Owatonna; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his three granddaughters, Theda, Thalia, and Madelyn.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 22, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owatonna. Friends may greet the family from 5-7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 21, 2018, at the Brick-Meger Funeral Home and one hour prior to the funeral at church. Military honors will be provided by the Steele County Funeral Unit. Interment will take place at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to VFW Post 3723 or the National Parkinson’s Foundation in their efforts to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. For more information or to leave an online condolence message, go to www.brick-megerfuneralhome.com.