Florence Anderson, age 82 of Belview, passed away Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at Parkview Home in Belview. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, October 12 at Grace Lutheran Church in Belview. Visitation is 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Redwood Valley Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to services at the church. Burial is in the Tracy Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home in Redwood Falls is assisting the family with arrangements.

Florence Anna Luepke Schmidt Anderson was born January 30, 1933 to Otto and Anna (Panitzke) Luepke at the farm near Echo, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed at Peace Lutheran Church in Echo. Florence attended country school and then Echo Public School where she graduated in 1950. After graduation, she worked at the Tracy Hospital as an LPN. While working at the Tracy Hospital, Florence met Marvin Schmidt. They were married April 19, 1951 and were blessed with eight children, Deborah, Richard, Kenneth, John, Harlan, Katherine, Charles, and Jacqueline. Florence and Marvin lived a variety of places and were farming near Clearwater, Minnesota when Marvin died of a heart attack in 1967. Florence and family moved to Belview; she later married Andrew Anderson and moved to Springfield. Florence and Andy moved back to Belview in 1974; they were later divorced. Florence was an active member of the Belview community; she was the city clerk for a number of years, an EMT on the ambulance service, and a member and officer of various civic organizations. With help from her church family at Grace Lutheran, her faith remained strong despite hardships. She loved crocheting sweaters, hemming diapers, and making quilt tops for the church ladies mission work. When she was home, Florence loved to read and do puzzles, play piano and sing, crochet, make quilts, and tend to her plants, but she loved to travel and went on many trips with friends and family.

Florence is survived by her children: Harley, Chuck, and Jacky Schmidt, all of Belview; daughter-in-law Deb Schmidt of Redwood Falls; sons-in-law Roy Pharr of Surprise, AZ and Joe Kirk of Sacred Heart; grandchildren: Jeremy (Michelle) Pharr, Tammy Pharr (Steve Gutierrez), Joni (Wade) Loeher, Lyndsay Schmidt, Stephanie (Brian) Peterson, Eric (Sam) Kirk, Stacey (Will) Balfany, Ben, Tim, and Melanie Schmidt; 14 great-grandchildren; siblings: Delores Ommen of Aberdeen, SD, Alyce (Harvey) Bartelt of Waubay, SD, Jane (Jerry) Milnar of Hudson, WI, Gladys (Roger) Ware of Hudson, WI, Roland (June) Luepke of Echo, and Lorraine Gieger of New Ulm; and sister-in-law Delores Oerter of Arco. She is preceded in death by her parents Otto and Anna, sister Norma Anderson, husband Marvin Schmidt, children: Deb Pharr, Rick Schmidt, Ken Schmidt, John Schmidt, and Kathy Kirk.