Mark Henry Anderson

Mark Henry Anderson, 81, of St. Peter, MN died on November 5th, 2025 at Benedictine Living Community after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Mark was born on September 18, 1944 in Cokato, MN, the third and youngest child of Andrew and Irene (Lueders) Anderson. Always an outgoing and active person, while growing up he enjoyed participating in baseball, basketball, football, Explorer Scouts, the speech team, and school pageants and plays. Mark was also chosen for the National Honor Society, Model UN, and Boys’ State. He graduated from Cokato High School in 1962.

Mark then attended Gustavus Adolphus College, where he continued his participation in intramural sports and plays. He was also a member of the Ski Team and the Phi Alpha Fraternity. It was at Gustavus that he met his wife Frances (Frani) Peterson Anderson. Mark graduated from Gustavus with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech in 1965. Later that year, on December 17, he married Frani in St. Louis Park, MN. Mark also went on to earn a Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota in 1978.

Between 1965 and 1978, Mark worked as a reading and speech teacher in Virginia, MN, a Merchandise Manager for Dayton’s Department Store, and as a teacher, program coordinator, and assistant campus director at Hennepin Technical College. It was at Gustavus, however, that Mark found a career he truly loved.

Hired in 1978, Mark wore many hats in his 32 years at Gustavus. These included Director of Cooperative Education and Assistant Dean, Director of Admissions, Associate Vice President for the Office of Development, Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid, and Vice President for Enrollment Management. Finally, he held the title, Dean of Admissions during the 2009-2010 school year as he helped the college during his transition into retirement on May 31st of that year.

It was in his roles as Director and Dean of Admissions that Mark will be remembered most. He helped to admit 26 classes to Gustavus, or more than half of the living alumni of the college at the time of his retirement. But, he didn’t just recruit and admit students. He cherished the opportunity to get to know them and their families, even remembering their names (at times) decades after they graduated. He also worked tirelessly to advocate for diversity at Gustavus. In recognition of this work, Mark was awarded the Eric Norelius Award (1994), the Diversity Honors Award (2005), the Greater Gustavus Award (2010), and the Sesquicentennial Award (2011-2012). In further recognition of his work, the Diversity Honors Award was renamed The Mark Anderson Diversity Honors Award upon his retirement.

Mark and Frani had two children, Joseph (Joey) Anderson and Lindsey (Anderson) Carlson. Mark took great pride in his children and was always there to support them in their school and extracurricular activities. Mark loved to bike, ski, windsurf, fish, cook, and sing; pastimes he shared with his family and friends whenever possible.

Mark had, in his own words, “a love of God and nature”. He was an active member of First Lutheran Church in St. Peter where he served as a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Church Council at various times throughout his life. He was also a regular attendee at the daily chapel service on the campus of Gustavus.

Mark was preceded in death by his son, Joey Anderson, parents Irene (Lueders) and Andrew Anderson, sister Audree Anderson LeCompte and brother-in-law William LeCompte, parents-in-law William and Frances Peterson, and brother-in-law Dennis Peterson. He leaves behind his wife Frani Anderson, daughter Lindsey (Eric) Carlson, his brother John (Janet) Anderson, his nephews and their families, and many bonus family members and cherished friends as well. He will be greatly missed by all.

A celebration of life will be held at Christ Chapel on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday, November 21st at 1:00 pm. A Gathering of Fellowship will follow the service and will be held in the Banquet Room of the Jackson Campus Center, also at Gustavus. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research or a charity of your choosing.