Randall "Randy" Duane Andersen

Randall “Randy” Andersen, 86, of Bemidji, MN passed away quietly on March 11, 2024 in Bemidji. His last years were a challenge with the progression of Parkinson’s Disease.

Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Monday, March 18, 2024 at the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home, Bemidji. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will be in Frohn Eastside Cemetery.

Randy was born December 29, 1937 at Watertown, MN to Helmer and Hazel (Stringer) Andersen. He was a brother to Myrna (Andersen) Parker and their 2nd child. Randy attended high school in Orono graduating in 1956. Randy loved to tinker with his cars and enjoyed drag racing while in his late teens and twenties. He occasionally got to visit with the local police about his speed.... Randy’s first “real” job was shoveling rock on new rail lines. He also did sod work and worked for Super Value loading trucks where he often was asked to load complicated loads so they could get the most product out to the stores on one truck. He met the love of his life, Nancy Ulfers and they married June 26, 1960 at Maple Plain. In 1962 a son arrived, Richard (Rick) and in 1965 Timothy (Tim) joined the family. Randy worked with his father in a small garage, with towing service and they also had a school bus company in the Orono school district. Randy was also a member of the fire service in Maple Plain with his father. The bus company was sold in 1969 and Randy bought his first truck. He ran his own truck in the lower 48 states hauling numerous freights. From butter and cheese in the early years to machinery and lumber the last 30 years of his career. He was happiest working for himself and not as an employee. He was always washing or tinkering with the trucks to make them gleam. Almost every Sunday you could find him in the garage with a wash rag in hand getting the truck ready to make another round. He even managed to wash the pin striping off his last Kenworth. In 1974 Randy and Nancy left Maple Plain to build a home in Frohn Township to get away from the city. They enjoyed building their home on an old school house basement, and bringing their sons to the country where they could ride dirt bikes and explore the trails. Randy and Nancy always kept their yard perfect and in his later years, he was often seen picking up cones just to keep them out of the lawn mower. Randy was a lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He believed in the resurrection, and that salvation that can be found through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.

Randy is survived by his wife Nancy (Ulfers) Andersen; sons Richard (Donna) Andersen and Timothy (Charlene Keeney) Andersen; grandchildren Steve (Abigail) Andersen, Adair Andersen, Donnie (Lettie) Coyle and Trevor Braaten; great-grandchildren Isak, Jordan, Everett, Franklin, Rueben and Dane; sister Myrna Parker and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Helmer and Hazel Andersen; brother-in-law Vernon Parker and grandson Geoffrey Andersen.

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