Carlton "Ozzie" Anderson

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: CARLTON ( OZZIE ) ANDERSON: Saturday July 24, 2021 at 11:00 A.M., visitation will begin at 10: A.M. Faithbridge Church, Park Rapids, MN. Carlton "Ozzie" Anderson, 85, departed peacefully in the presence of family from his home at Diamond Willow in Park Rapids, MN on the evening of March 11th. He was born December 28th, 1934 in Litchfield, MN to Carl John and Ellen Lydia Anderson and was raised in Wayzata, MN. As a high school athlete, Ozzie was recognized for his desire to win and competed in football, basketball, baseball, and golf. He was also a member of the chorus and his senior class play. His Wayzata High School yearbook claimed he was admired by everyone for his friendliness and good humor. While pursuing a BA in English from Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, Carlton Anderson, ' 56, continued his athletic pursuits and was ultimately inducted into the college's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. On June 18, 1960, he was married to Anita Lien, of Battle Lake, MN a graduate of Gustavus' Class of '59 at Diamond Lake Lutheran in Minneapolis, MN. During his courtship and marriage season, Ozzie served as a member of the Army National Guard on three separate stateside assignments. The couple moved to Park Rapids, MN in 1961 and raised three children, Laura, Lynn, and Paul while Ozzie taught English at the high school and coached sports. He also served as an advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the AFS foreign student exchange program. Ozzie was a member of the Lions Club, community choir, and Calvary Lutheran Church, where he attended a Friday 7 a.m. men’s meeting for nearly 50 years. He and Anita both received Masters of Education degrees from Bemidji State University. Before coaching a winning baseball team all the way to runner-up in the Class A state baseball tournament in 1986, Ozzie had also gained a new daughter, Alissara Srivattana, an exchange student from Thailand, whom he has loved as his own. Ozzie served on the board of the Assemblies of God church and spent several summers out of state grading Advanced Placement English papers before retiring in 1993. Upon Ozzie's retirement, the couple moved to Guam to teach and travel the Pacific Islands. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bertram, and his son Paul Carlton. Ozzie is survived by his wife Anita, children Laura Lobo, Lynn (Craig) Tomlinson, Michelle Anderson, and Alissara (Pipat) Reungsang and grandchildren Alek and Leah President, Amanda, Megan, and Joshua Anderson, Abigail Tomlinson, Buhm Wattana Reungsang and Praw Reungsang. Those who knew him recognized Ozzie as a man of faith in Jesus Christ with strong principles and a loving heart. He had a very special way of connecting to everyone he met, with kind and inclusive eyes that showed his respect for each person's story. This was true even to his very last days. A private graveside service will be held on July 11,2020 and a celebration of Carlton's wonderful life will be held next summer when the risks of COVID-19 subside.