LeRoy H. Anson

Former Hastings resident LeRoy H. Anson, 97, passed away Friday, February 3, 2023, at CHI Health – St. Francis, Grand Island, NE.    

Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, February 18, at Butler Volland Chapel in Hastings with Pastor Jim Reynolds officiating. Burial with military rites by Hastings Military Honor Guard will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Friday, February 17, and one hour before the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to the family for a memorial to be established at a later date. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to LeRoy’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page.

LeRoy was born December 8, 1925, to Edward and Bessie (Wilber) Anson in Rising City, NE. He was born at his grandparent's home and was raised in Creston, NE where he graduated from high school in 1943.

In 1943, LeRoy joined the US Navy and served until the war ended in 1945. After the Navy, he attended and graduated from St. Paul Bible Institute in 1950. A month after graduation, he married the love of his life, Isabell Longstreet.

LeRoy and Isabell pastored and served numerous Christian and Missionary Alliance churches from 1951-1971. LeRoy also began work for Back to the Bible Broadcast in Lincoln in 1957 until he retired in 1992.

Dad loved God’s Word, rising early daily to spend time with his Savior. He and Isabell were prayer warriors for the family and others. Dad loved carpentry work and was often building items as gifts or acts of service. He loved doing projects for his kids. He loved coffee and was always ready to share a cup with family and friends. He was a “hilarious giver!”

LeRoy and Isabell moved to Hastings, NE in 2011 to be near their daughter, Donna Horton, and her family. In 2018, they moved to Sagewood in Grand Island, a lovely and loving Assisted Living facility. They attended and were greatly blessed by the Grand Island Berean Bible Church, Pastor Jim, and its people.

For the last year or more, dad had continually asked, ”Where is home?” Now dad is at the HOME he longed for and that was prepared for him by his Savior.

LeRoy was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Bessie; parents-in-law, David and Ruth Longstreet; sister, Gerry; brothers, Charles and Calvin; and son-in-law, Robert Horton.

He is survived by Isabell, his wife of 72 years; sister, Charlotte McKenzie; four children, Donna Horton, Keith (Darla) Anson, Janice (Bill) Gear, and Craig (Nancy) Anson. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren, Michelle Stanley, Michael Anson, Andrew Gear, Nicole Horton, Monica Shaw, Greg Gear, Mark Anson, Curtis Anson, Kristen Birnie, Marshal Anson, and Michaela Jackson. Adding to the fun are 25 great-grandchildren.