Earl Leo Anderson

Earl Leo Anderson, 90, of Van Meter, passed away Tuesday, April 26 at Edgewater in West Des Moines with his family by his side. Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Van Meter. Family will greet friends from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the church. Private family burial will be at Iowa Veterans Cemetery. Earl Leo Anderson of Van Meter was born near Chariton on April 5, 1926, son of Ivan and Ariel Mason Anderson. The doctor was brought to the rural home with horses because the roads were blocked by an April snowstorm. Earl attended rural schools and graduated from Chariton High School in 1943. He enlisted in the Navy V-12 Officer Training program and served for 2 years. Earl graduated from Iowa State College (ISU) with a degree in Civil Engineering. The next day, June 12, 1948, he married Ardis Bailey of Atlantic, whom he had met on a blind date. They lived in Southwest Iowa until moving to Des Moines in 1951, to rural Van Meter in 1974 and finally to Edgewater Retirement Community, West Des Moines in 2009. During his last semester of college, Earl worked part-time in Des Moines for Cunningham-Reis Company, bridge contractors and started his life long career with that company a week after graduation. He became the owner and President for over 40 years before passing the company responsibilities to his sons in 2010. He served as President of the Iowa Association of General Contractors in 1965. Earl and Ardis traveled to many foreign countries and especially enjoyed fishing for lake trout in Manitoba, salmon and halibut in British Columbia and Alaska and walleye in Ontario. Earl loved the outdoors and hunted elk in Colorado for over 30 years and caribou in Quebec, as well as pheasants and quail. He was an active member of the Van Meter United Methodist Church for over 40 years. He and Ardis hosted the Living Christmas Story in their sheep barn for 25 years. Earl is survived by his wife, Ardis; sons, David (Marilyn) Anderson and Roger (Cindy) Anderson of Van Meter; daughters, Joyce Anderson of Mason City and Maribeth (Bruce) Cannavaro, Port Townsend, WA; nine grandchildren, four step grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister and a grandson. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Van Meter United Methodist Church at 100 Hazel St., P.O. Box 149, Van Meter, IA,50261. Online condolences may be left on this site.