BRENDA RENEE ANDERSEN Sept. 19, 1957 – Aug. 22, 2024
Brenda Renee Andersen, 66, passed away in her sleep, holding her husband’s hand, on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at her home in Star, Idaho due to a lengthy illness.
Brenda was born on September 19, 1957, to Glen B and Melba Hall Youngblood, in Council, Idaho. They lived in Cascade Idaho until she was twelve when her family moved to Boise, Idaho where she grew up and graduated from Capital High School.
Brenda then attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho where she earned an associate degree in Sociology and met Jay R (Skip) Andersen. Brenda and Skip were married on July 6, 1977, in the Salt Lake City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Brenda’s three driving passions in her life were her relationship with God, her family, and service to others. Brenda and Skip were married for forty-seven years, and had five children, two daughters and three sons. Followed by seven grandsons, and a grand daughter-in-law.
She was dedicated to her family, willing to travel anywhere, anytime to give them support in time of need. Dinner around the table, camping with the family, and regular phone calls to all of them were her happiest times.
Brenda was passionate about service to others through her church callings and as a volunteer and employee of the American Red Cross. As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints she fulfilled callings in the primary, young women’s relief society, and as a Gospel Doctrine teacher in the Sunday School, which was her favorite calling. She loved to do genealogy and temple work, serving her ancestors.
She also served others through the American Red Cross by supporting and at times managing local chapters in Arco, Pocatello, and Los Alamos. She served as a national disaster responder, specializing as an emergency planner and manager. In this capacity she responded to fires, floods, and hurricanes around the country, and 9/11 in New York City and managed blood drives, first aid training. After her children were in school, she worked for the American Red Cross and then as an Emergency Manager/Incident Commander at Los Alamos National Laboratory until she was medically retired in 2018.
In retirement she served several hours a week as the Red Cross’s Emergency Operations Duty Officer for Idaho and Montana until November 2023 when her illness prevented her from further volunteer service.
Brenda is preceded in death by her parents, Glen B Youngblood, and Melba (Hall) Youngblood.
She is survived by her brother David Glen (Coree) Youngblood, sister LuAnn (Larry) Walker-Dixon, daughters Kerstin Noel Andersen and Venecia Marie Andersen, and her sons Micah Jay (Linzi) Andersen, Justin Franklin (Becky) Andersen, Anthony Glen Andersen, seven grandsons, and one grand daughter-in-law.
Brenda’s memorial service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Floating Feather building at 9400 Floating Feather Road, Star, Idaho, 83669 at 10:00 a.m. on August 29, 2024. A viewing and family prayer will be held at the Anderson Family Funeral Home at 2555 North Highway 93, Arco Idaho, 83213 at 10:00 a.m. on August 31, 2024. After the viewing and family prayer, a graveside service will be held at approximately 11:30 a.m. at the Lost River Cemetery in Moore, Idaho prior to internment.
Please send any flowers and condolences to the Anderson Family Funeral Home, 2555 North Highway 93, Arco, Idaho 83213.