Ronald John Andrus passed away on October 17, 2020 at Sanford Health Care Center in Vermillion, South Dakota with his wife, Karen, by his side. Ron was born to John and Ruth (Schrunk) Andrus on September 8, 1940 in Atkinson, Nebraska. He had an older brother Ralph and a younger sister Karen (Ormesher). He attended Atkinson High School and graduated in May of 1958.
On June 9, 1962, Ron married Karen Bachelor of Valentine, Nebraska. They were married for 58 years and were blessed with two children, Kim and John.
Ron's primary career was with the Nebraska Brand Committee in Brown County. He worked with the state for 35 years and checked thousands of brands for ownership during that time. Ron covered Brown County, Nebraska, but would frequently get calls to other counties in the area. He greatly enjoyed working with the ranchers and the cattle industry.
Ron's passions included traveling, hunting, cheering on the Huskers, and being outdoors. His travels included three trips to Hawaii and four trips to Alaska. He did a lot of deer, turkey and antelope hunting with his son, John. He was probably most well known for his random acts of kindness which earned him the Nebraska Good Neighbor Award in 1989. He donated a lot of his time to helping his neighbors by doing various tasks such as mowing lawns, hauling trash, and cutting firewood. He did all these things for people with no expectations. Ron just enjoyed helping others. His greatest joy in life were his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ron and Karen have seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, soon to be ten!
Ron is survived by his wife, Karen, of Valentine, Nebraska; his daughter, Kim (Leonard) Appleman of Johnstown, Nebraska; his son, John (Twyla) Andrus of Yankton, South Dakota; grandchildren Jamie (Luke) Bisbee, Jeff (Heaven) Appleman, Katie (Evan) Winters, Ciara (Ryan) Lammers, Rylie Andrus, Bryson Andrus, and Jaden Appleman; great grandchildren Isaac, Natalie, Owen, Blakelee, Brinlee, Johnna, Mason, Blake, and Preston; and his sister, Karen (Richard) Ormesher of Valentine, Nebraska.
Ron was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ralph.
Graveside services for Ron Andrus, age 80, of Valentine, Nebraska will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery in Valentine. Public visitation will be on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at Sandoz Chapel of the Pines in Valentine.