Carrie Renae Anderson

Carrie R. (Christiansen) Anderson, age 38, of Galva passed away peacefully and beautifully in the arms of her loving husband in their home of Galva, as the sun rose on Saturday March 19, 2022. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the St. John Lutheran Church of rural Alta (Hanover) with the Rev. Zachary T. Viggers officiating. Burial will be at the St. John Lutheran Cemetery of rural Alta (Hanover).  A visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the St. John Lutheran Church of rural Alta (Hanover). In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Anderson family to be directed towards a charity of their choice.  Memorials can be made through Venmo @Carrie-Anderson-Memorial-Fund https://account.venmo.com/u/Carrie-Anderson-Memorial-Fund

Carrie was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, on January 10, 1984, to Armin and Dawn Christiansen. She was the baby of 4 children – proving to have by far the most spunk.  She was every bit a farm girl from the minute she could walk to the day she left us. Her younger years were filled with nursing baby pigs and calves, participating in everything 4-H and FFA, playing softball, volleyball and developing into a pretty stellar catcher for the Schaller-Crestland Wildcats. Her love for her parents and siblings was deep and she made a point to be involved in their lives even though there was an age difference and distance between them.

She met her true love, Lance Anderson, the summer before her senior year of high school. He was born and raised in Alta, Iowa. It was quite literally a match made in Heaven. They bonded immediately on their connection in their faith and their love for the farm, horses, cattle, and the mountains. They dated for the remainder of high school until she went off to Iowa State University, majoring in Animal Science. Lance joined the Army directly out of high school, but their love continued strong, and they endured the long and stressful relationship of his deployment to Iraq. During her time at Iowa State, she was able to do an internship in Wyoming on a working cattle ranch. Her mother and grandmother drove her there and dropped her off in a small bunk house with 2 other male interns for the summer. She was so excited to bale hay, dig trenches for flood irrigation, study brisket disease in high altitude cattle, and AI (artificially inseminate) the cattle.

As Lance returned from the Army and she graduated from college, they were engaged to be married. They exchanged vows on July 15, 2006. They immediately embraced and owned everything about living a very Christian, small town, farming life. They started their marriage in her grandparents’ rural home between Early and Odebolt, Iowa.  Shortly thereafter, they purchased their dream acreage just east of Galva, Iowa. It was here that she planted her large garden, raised and rode her horses, had chickens, and enjoyed everything about working outside with her husband.

On September 8th, 2009, Carrie and Lance started their family with the adoption of Owen Kelly. His arrival was a true gift from God, and every moment since she has cherished with her whole self. On March 19, 2013, they adopted Garrett Armin into the cowboy crew.  Anyone who knew Carrie understood her passion for her faith and her boys – all three of them!  She devoted her time to being home with them and helping them have the best start in this life as possible. Her passion for education was obvious. She volunteered and was para in their school district, but the Sunday School classroom was where you really saw her shine. She loved every second of her role as a Christian educator to those young minds. She was the most passionate mother you would meet and their biggest advocate and cheerleader.  Her love and energy for family extended to time with her many nieces and nephews…cheering them on to their very best and rallying everyone to be there when their family needed them…in other words, to “join them at the pasture.”

She engrained her love for the outdoors in her children, wearing t-shirts saying “support wildlife, raise boys”. Her favorite activity/place outside her homestead was camping and the mountains (often together), and she would talk about it often. She loved the beauty of the mountains and that she felt closer to God. As a family they enjoyed many vacations to the mountains and roaming the west in their camper. One of her new favorite things to do was helicopter camping. Aside from proclaiming and living her faith, her passion in life was her boys. Her every ounce of energy went into making sure they knew their God and lived by his Word. She and Lance spent their most precious times in bible study with their boys all piled in Carrie and Lances bed at night. 

Carrie is survived by her husband Lance Anderson; children, Owen and Garrett of Galva, Iowa; parents, Armin and Dawn Christiansen of Early, Iowa; and siblings, Tina (Todd) Davenport of North Liberty, Iowa, Aaron (girlfriend Michele) Christiansen of Ankeny, Iowa, Kyle (Selena) Christiansen of Waukee, Iowa.  She is also survived by her father-in-law, Kel (Sherri) Anderson; mother-in-law, Shell (Roger) Trimble; brothers-in-law, Lee (Lacey) Anderson and Cody (Jo) Anderson; and many nieces, nephews, close cousins and family friends.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Edward and Bernice Christiansen and Raymond and Doris Wedeking.