Thursday, March 28, 2024
Photo by Karen M. Jorgensen Craig Anderson directed the Triton High School Choir for a final last June at the graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2022.

Triton community mourning longtime teacher

Members of the Triton community are mourning the passing of a longtime music teacher and choir director.

Craig Anderson, who retired at the end of the school year last June, died on Saturday. He was 65.

Anderson was hired as a music teacher in the Claremont district in 1983 and when Claremont, Dodge Center, and West Concord merged to form Triton in 1992, he became the Triton music teacher and choir director.

Community members said that Anderson was loved and respected by all who knew him.

“The Triton family was saddened to hear about the passing of our recently retired teacher, Craig Anderson,” said Triton Supt. Craig Schlichting. “He was a man who had a passion for music and shared that with the students. He always did a really great job with kids and concerts, always did an amazing job.”

Triton High School Principal Luke Lutterman said Anderson “was loved and respected by everybody, he was a great teacher but an even better human being. He has had a tremendous impact on lives of our students, our staff, and our families. And we are all better for knowing and working with Craig. He has left a lasting impact on our school and community.”

Dodge Center resident Carol Johnson recalled that Anderson worked for many hears with her late husband, who was the Triton band director.

Anderson, she said, was “the kindest man and so talented. He related well to the students and built up a great choir.”

Triton 2019 graduate Noah Woxland credited Anderson with fostering his love of choir.

Being a choir director, Woxland said, is not easy because not everyone is passionate about it. But, he said, Anderson did not let that show and always had a smile.

Woxland is now attending Luther College where he sings in the Nordic Choir. “I would not be here if not for Mr. Anderson,” he said. The last time he spoke with Anderson, he recalled, was when he was in his first year at Luther and Anderson came to the campus with some Triton students to participate in the Dorian Choir Festival.

In addition to his work at Triton, Anderson was also very involved in the music program at Faith Community Church in West Concord.

“He was very involved in our church music program, I think for 28 years,” said Pastor Dave Breederland. “He was instrumental in starting our senior festival Hymn Sings. Over the last nine or ten years we’ve had about three a year; he was the key player in getting those started and served a niche in our communities to sing the old hymns that older people grew up with.”

Breederland described Anderson as a very kind and thoughtful man who wanted to help others and share his musical gifts in many different situations.

“He filled in at other churches on the piano and sang at many funerals,” Breederland said. “He was all over the music scene in Dodge County.”

Originally from northern Minnesota, Anderson attended Bethel College and taught in western Minnesota before accepting the position at Claremont.

In an interview with the DCI when he retired, he said he expected he would stay in Claremont for a couple of years, get some experience and then go back to northern Minnesota.

It didn’t work out as he expected. “Claremont was good to me,” he said last summer, and he stayed there until the three schools merged to form the Triton district.

At first, he taught in the Triton High School and Claremont Elementary and then in the Middle School in West Concord. Finally, he began to teach exclusively in the high school.

Anderson is survived by his wife, Deb Anderson; four daughters, Sara Taylor, Anna (Chris) Acker, Olivia Anderson, and Kristina Anderson; three grandchildren; brother Bruce, and nephews and a niece.

The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, January 13, at Triton High School.

Photo: Craig Anderson

 

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