Barbara K Anderson

BARBARA KAYE ANDERSON, age 79, entered the Spirit World on January 24, 2023. Barbara was born on April 13, 1943 in Long Beach, California to Nell (Schramer) and Jesse Anderson. Her family returned to Flandreau, South Dakota, where she attended Spafford Grade School for two years. In 1951, Barbara moved to Pipestone, Minnesota when her mother married Glenn Huston. She continued her education there and graduated from Pipestone High School in 1961. She attended St. Cloud State College in St. Cloud, Minnesota for one year before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to work for Pan American World Airlines, a subcontractor to the Atomic Energy Commission at the Nuclear Rocket Development Station at Jackass Flatts, Nevada. Barbara married Gene Buttery in Las Vegas in 1967. That marriage ended in divorce; however, they maintained a lifelong friendship.

After 10 years at the Nevada Test Site and many world travels that Pan Am afforded her, she began her career in purchasing with the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. In 1977 she moved to Reno, Nevada where she served as Director of Purchasing for that MGM Grand. She subsequently worked in the position of Director of Purchasing for Penthouse Boardwalk and Del Webb’s Claridge in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Ramada Corporate Headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona; the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas; and the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California. Barbara had a wealth of stories about her twenty years in Las Vegas, many of which included meeting a wide variety of celebrities. Barbara was also listed in the 1987-88 edition of “Who’s Who in the West”.

On July 11, 1987, Barbara married Erik Ferguson, who was originally from Pipestone, and they moved to Santa Rosa, California, where they resided for eight years. In 1995, they moved to Bridgewater, New Jersey to accommodate Erik’s career. Barbara also worked as a Consultant to various companies including the Royal River Casino in Flandreau and served as Vice President for Vegas Valley Limited, a supplier of wine accessories. Upon Erik’s retirement in 2001, they returned to the Midwest to reside in Brandon, South Dakota, at which time they joined the Lennox Municipal Band. In 2003 they were involved in the revival of the Flandreau City Band and the subsequent building of a band shell in Flandreau. Barbara served in the position of Secretary/Treasurer for that organization for over ten years. In June of 2006, she and Erik performed concerts in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic with the Augustana College/Community Band. In June of 2008 they again traveled to Europe with the Augie Band, performing concerts in Germany and Austria. In June of 2012, Barbara traveled with the Augustana Band for a concert tour of the British Isles, which included her beloved Ireland.

Barbara is preceded in death by both parents; her step-father; her husband, Erik Ferguson; nephew Charles Babcock; and brother-in-law, O.D. Edwards. She is survived by her sister, JoAnn Edwards and brother, Larry Anderson of Flandreau; step-son Roy (Mary) Buttery of Crossville, Tennessee; step-daughter-in-law, Rhonda (Kenny) Redelsperger; step-granddaughters Jessie Buttery and Heather (T.J.) Colie; step-great-grandsons, Gaetano and Giovanni Colie, all of Las Vegas, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.