Rick N. Anderson

Rick N. Anderson, 75, of McPherson, KS, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 18, 2023, surrounded by family at McPherson Hospital.

Rick was born on April 18, 1947, in Story City, Iowa, the son of Everett Vernon and Garnette (Mohler) Anderson. 

After college, Rick took his first job as a microbiologist for a meat packing company (Monfort of Colorado) located in Greeley, CO.  He worked there for one year but hated it.  Later, he went to work for a utility company called Greeley Gas (Greeley, CO) and was later promoted and moved to Herington, Kansas.  While in Herington, Rick served as the President of the Chamber of Commerce for two years. One day, the owner of Greeley Gas Company came to visit Rick who was second in command at the Herington location. When asked about his future aspirations with the company, Rick looked over at his boss, pointed at him, and said, “I want his job!”  Rick was promptly terminated after working with the company for eleven years! 

He then went to work for Kansas Power & Light, and they moved him to McPherson where he managed the McPherson office.  He was later transferred to Topeka but two months later, he accepted a job with the McPherson Board of Public Utilities as General Manager.  He served as General Manager of BPU from 1989 until retirement in 2011.

While at the BPU, he worked to address water well contamination and restored three wells by adding a scrubber unit.

The BPU also acquired the property and constructed Power Plant #3, completing construction in 2002.  This was a 30-million-dollar project.     

The highlight of Rick’s life came on June 6, 1998, when he married the love of his life, Elizabeth Williams.  He described her as the most beautiful woman in the world, inside & out.  Their marriage made for a large family when combining Rick’s two children with Betty’s three children.  Rick enjoyed being a step-grandparent to a number of children.

For many years, Rick enjoyed going with family and friends to his favorite fishing spot in a remote part of Ontario, Canada.  Many memories were made on these trips and one year, he instructed Mathew and friends to build an “Inuksuk” which is a structure of stones, stacked in the form of a human figure, traditionally used by Inuit people as a landmark or a commemorative sign.  It was Rick’s wish for the Canadian Inuksuk to be the final resting place of his cremated remains.

Advice to grandkids:  “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” (borrowed from Zig Ziglar)

One time Rick attended a soccer game where grandson, Lee Williams, scored three goals, otherwise known as a hat trick.  Lee was really proud of his accomplishment but after the game Rick offered this advice, “You could have done better!”  

Survivors include his loving wife, Elizabeth “Betty”; a sister, Carole (Lee) Nield of Evergreen, CO and their kids, Doug (Lori) Nield, Cathy Nield, & Brad (Karin) Nield; a daughter, Julie (Sean) Barber of Argyle, TX and kids, Taylor, Tatum, & Teaghan; a son, Mathew (Cheryl) Anderson of Little River, KS and kids, Matie, Brodey, Abby, Emmy, & Camryn; three step-children: Danny (Wanda) Williams of McPherson, KS and their family, Elle Williams (Jacob Wagner) and child, Kallan, Shanda (Trent) Swanson and kids, Rhian, Ridge, Rhett, & Rooks, Kesley (Matt) Carlson and kids, Kannon & Hattie, and Devon (Josh) Spurlock and child, Tayt; David (Ronda) Williams of McPherson, KS and their family, Lee (Kailey) Williams and child, Elliott, Logan Williams, and Luke Williams; and Becky (Kelly) Schroeder of Overland Park, KS and their family, Braden Schroeder and Trenton Schroeder.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Keith Anderson.

His hobbies included golfing, fishing, and hunting.  He was a member of Rotary Club International and Trinity Lutheran Church where he was a former chairman of the church council.  He was also a board member of the McPherson Hospital Foundation and Kansas Municipal Utilities Association. 

A celebration of Rick’s life will be held at 1:00 PM, Friday, February 24, 2023, at Trinity Lutheran Church with Rev. Tim Leaf officiating.  The family will receive friends from 12:00 PM (noon) until service time at the church. To view a live stream broadcast of the service, please click on the following link: https://evt.live/memorial-service-for-rick-anderson

Memorial donations are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.