Martin Andersen, Jr., 93, formerly of Woonsocket, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 16, 2019, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell. 

Funeral services will be held at Spirit of Faith Church in Woonsocket, Thursday, March 21, at 11 a.m. with visitation an hour and a half prior to the service. Burial will be in Eventide Cemetery, Woonsocket.

Martin was born Jan. 15, 1926, to Martin and Marie (Nielsen) Andersen on the Andersen family farm on the Pony Hills of Woonsocket.  He joined his older brother, Stanley, and sister, Viona.  He graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1944 and later joined the Navy serving on the USS Osberg DE 538 during WWII. He returned to the farm and went on to do custom corn picking and electrical work, in addition to working the farm with his dad that he later took over and has become a South Dakota Century Farm.

On June 18, 1949, Martin married Marian Jensen in Storla. He was a 70-plus-year member of Post 29 American Legion of Woonsocket, a member of Post 5548 VFW of Wessington Springs, Bethany Lutheran Church, Thrivent for Lutherans, a 4-H leader, and honored by SDSU for hosting 30 years of FFA Land and Range judging on his farm. 

As an avid hunter, he loved to hunt rabbits, pheasants, ducks and deer. He learned taxidermy to preserve his “trophies” and those of many others. Pheasant season was a very busy time and many mounted birds were shipped all over the United States.

Martin is survived by his wife, Marian; daughter, Judy (Dan) Hinker, of Woonsocket; son, Jim (Sheri) Andersen, of Mitchell; two grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Stanley Andersen; sister Viona Feistner; and grandson, Joshua Hinker.