Mark Anderson Obituary

Mark Anderson

August 11, 1942 - July 9, 2025

Barry Mark Anderson died on July 9th, 2025. Mark was the pastor of Church of the Living Water in Muscatine, Iowa for close to fifty years.

Although his pastor's salary was slim, our dad lived an abundant life. He used what he had. What he didn't have he built, and he trusted that God would provide. In the 1980s when we lived in the church parsonage, Dad was concerned that Mom wouldn't have a home when he died, so together with our older brothers, Dad built her a house. His parents said they didn't think he knew how to build a house, but they were sure he could figure it out.

Dad was an avid gardener and caretaker to the land that God provided, raising grassfed lamb and planting apple, pear, and peach trees, some of which finally burst full of fruit this year for the first time. His sights were set on the future, on eternity.

Destined for an unconventional life, two pivotal moments in the 1960s set him off on a life of adventure. The first was his introduction to the Holy Spirit, who breathed life into his faith in Christ. Dad had a deep and rich knowledge of the scriptures, nurtured through daily prayer, study, and yielding to God. He took God at his word, and saw himself as a co-laborer with Christ. We know that it had been a struggle for him to accept his call to the ministry, but once he did, it's apparent that God delighted in his obedience.

The second pivotal moment was meeting our mother, Kari, who we are convinced is the only woman on earth who could have been such a stalwart and steadfast co-adventurer alongside our father. Two iconoclasts who found each other amid a sea of sameness. They were happily married for nearly 53 years.

Together our parents built a life, raised seven children, and traveled the world. As early pioneers in the homeschool movement, our parents fought against government overreach and helped to pave the way for the parental rights enjoyed by so many today.

Barry Mark Anderson was born in Oregon on August 11, 1942 to Rognar and June Anderson. The grandson of Swedish and Norwegian immigrants, he attended Colton High School, Pacific Lutheran University, Lutheran Bible Institute, and received his MDiv from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Our father died as he lived, surrounded by his family in the home he built. He remained kind, grateful, and loving even to the end.

Mark is survived by his wife, Kari (née Ose) Anderson; his brother, Don (Gail) Anderson of McMinnville, Oregon; his sister, Kristine (Gary) Johnson, of Mount Vernon, Washington; his five sons, Andrew Anderson of Muscatine, Iowa, Ethan (Bethany) Anderson of West Liberty, Iowa, Samuel (Alexis) Anderson of Muscatine, Iowa, Matthew (Courtney) Anderson of Muscatine, Iowa, and John Anderson of Washington, D.C.; his two daughters, Anna (Ryan) Waters of Juneau, Alaska, and Sarah Anderson of Muscatine, Iowa; and his six grandchildren, Liliana, David, and Simon Anderson; Abel and Aksel Anderson; and Ingrid Waters. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rognar and June (née Nordling) Anderson of Mount Vernon, Washington.