Norman Paul Anderson, 98, of Cumberland, Wisconsin, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, at Cumberland Care and Rehab. Norman was born on June 3, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When he was six months old, his parents, Paul and Clara, bought the farm next to where Paul grew up, and the family returned to the suburbs of McKinley (Johnstown), Wisconsin. Norman attended elementary school at A.P. Holst School until eighth grade and then went to work with his dad on the farm. While his formal education ended with eighth grade, Norman was always a curious person, wondering and learning about everything. Norman farmed and made maple syrup with his dad for many years. In 1957 Norman and his father made the decision to get out of dairy farming and go full time into the maple syrup business.
Norman and family were involved in Trinity Lutheran Church in McKinley, where he was active in Luther League. He attended national Luther League Conventions and made lifelong friends with the people he met there. Norm served on a Luther League board at Luther Point Bible Camp in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, where he met Janice Carlson. They were married on Oct. 26, 1963, and settled into life on the farm outside of Cumberland. Jan kept the books for the maple syrup business and Norman continued to find ways to grow the business with his father. They continued church activities, joined couples club and even took square dancing lessons.
They had two children, Christine and Steven. Norman enjoyed working, traveling and creating little adventures. When people came to visit, he found ways to make the time special: packing down the sledding hill to make it faster, setting up a homemade “rollercoaster,” organizing a church softball game, or going on a hike and getting lost. He always seemed to have something up his sleeve. Summers often found the Andersons at Mt. Carmel Bible Camp in Alexandria, Minnesota, and visiting Janice’s family in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Norman loved his old cars; he bought his first 1931 Graham in 1974 and continued to collect beautiful old cars. He loved going to car shows and visiting.
In 1996 Norm and Jan started a new chapter—retirement! They traveled and explored many places in the U.S. and around the world! In all the travels, Norman was amazed that he could actually visit these places. The stories he told the most centered on the people he met. He enjoyed making connections and learning about the interesting things others did in their lives.
Norman was proud of his grandchildren, Ben and Mya. He enjoyed spending time with them and following their school activities. He was known for stealing blankets, making delicious waffles, going to car shows, pouring milk from unbelievable heights and making the smoothest and best maple candy around.
Norman used to say that maple syrup had been good to him. He enjoyed the work, and he was proud to be inducted into the Maple Syrup Hall of Fame in Croghan, New York, in 2009.
He was a man with deep faith in Jesus Christ. Norman was preceded in death by his parents, Clara and Paul Anderson; sister, Sarah (Alan) Olsen; wife, Janice Anderson; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ed Carlson, Lorainne and Dave Giller, and Wendell and Rosemary Carlson. He is survived by children, Steven (Alison) Anderson and Christine Anderson (Paul Sanders); grandchildren, Ben Anderson and Mya Anderson; and many nieces and nephews and their children.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2532 15th Street, McKinley. Visitation one hour prior at church. Memorials are preferred to Trinity Lutheran Endowment Fund.
