Faith Sorlie (Spear) Andersen, 85, went to her heavenly home on February 2, 2015, in Bartlett, TN.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Rev. Vernon Andersen in 1994.

She is survived by her sister, Marion (Edward) Eskildsen of Claremont, CA; her brother, Ralph (Nina) Spear of Graham, NC; and her three treasured children, Lisa West of Cordova, TN, Marie Strohm (Tim Goldammer) of Cocoa, FL, and Mark (Arlene) Andersen of Bowie, MD. She also loved and cherished her grandchildren, Josh, Matt, Katie, and Alexandra, and her great-grandchildren, Tristan, Faydra, Jordyn, and Jaxon.

Faith was born on March 27, 1929, in Greenville, MI, to Ingborg (Sorlie) Spear and Rev. Christian Ludwig Spear (Sorensen). She graduated from Greenville High and studied for two years at Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis, MN. She took her RN degree at Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in Moline, IL.

Faith established her career as a surgical nurse in Illinois and Michigan until she met and married Rev. Vernon Andersen in 1958 and moved to Hazard, NE. Faith partnered with Vernon in Lutheran ministry for 35 years in six parishes in Nebraska and South Dakota, and returned to work as a nurse in Madison, SD, and for the Veteran's Administration in both Sturgis, SD, and Grand Island, NE. When she retired from nursing, Faith traveled to visit her family and friends, and to explore. She visited Japan, Thailand, Spain, Switzerland, France, England, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Scotland, along with Hawaii and Alaska among a plethora of domestic destinations.

Faith will be greatly missed by her family and friends for her deeply caring nature, kindness, and graciousness. She was a blessing to those whose lives she touched.

Visitation will be at Kinkade Funeral Chapel, 1235 Junction Avenue, Sturgis, SD, on Friday, February 20th from 5 - 7 PM.

The celebration of her life will be held at Piedmont Valley Lutheran Church, 16155 Spring Valley Road, Piedmont, SD, on February 21, 2015, at 1:30 PM. Interment will be in Black Hills National Cemetery on Monday, February 23rd.