Louis Anderson
Burns postmaster, Louis W. Anderson, 52, died Feb. 10, 2004, at Newton Medical Center.
Born March 30, 1951, in Alta, Iowa, he was the son of William A. and Charlotte Joy (Gaster) Anderson.
He attended Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa, until he was hired in 1969 by the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier.
He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1975, including a year in Sabrintyre, Turkey.
On Sept. 12, 1971, he married Mary Levi in Lenox, Iowa. The couple had three children, Melanie, Jennifer, and Mark. The couple later divorced.
On Feb. 28, 1986, he married Barbara Bierman Myers in Topeka. They moved to the Burns area in May 1987.
He was an avid K-State fan, following the Cats all over the country. He loved his family and had a special place in his heart for dogs and cats. His favorite dog, Kip, was by his side when he died.
An active member of the Kansas branch of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States (NAPUS), he was the state postmaster representative for the past five years. He served on the Peabody-Burns USD 398 school board for 14 years and was an advocate of disadvantaged kids.
He was active in several local groups, including the Burns Lions Club and Burns PRIDE. He was a member of Burns United Methodist Church.
He was preceded in death by his mother, stepmother, and grandparents.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara; his father, William Anderson of Omaha, Neb.; two daughters, Melanie Preston of Irwin, Iowa, and Jennifer Rock of Omaha, Neb.; a son, Mark Anderson of Newton; a stepdaughter, Suzy Myers of Lawrence; two stepsons, Nick Myers and Drew Myers of Lawrence; mother-in-law, Minamae Bierman of Burns; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Friday morning at Burns United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jim Bush officiating.
The congregation sang "Amazing Grace." Daytha Langenegger sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and other special music was provided by the Burns Men's Quartet. Sandy Heyman was organist.
Honorary casket bearers were Tom Grimwood, Max Kennedy, Lowell Koehn, Larry Morgan, Nolan Smith, and Jim Davis.
Inurnment was in Burns Cemetery with a military service conducted by a two-man honor guard from McConnell Air Force Base.
Memorial funds have been established with the church or Burns PRIDE.
