Gordon Anderson

Gordon Edmond Anderson, 77, died on Dec. 17, 2005 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Gordon was born on July 10, 1928 to Engeline and Conrad Anderson at Lewistown, and was raised in Roy, Montana, on his parents' ranch. He graduated in 1947 from the Roy High School.

From 1948 to 1952 he served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific, mostly based at Okinawa. With an honorable discharge he returned home to the ranch at Roy and lived there until 1954 when he met his first wife, Joanne Marsch. They were wed in Pocatello, Idaho, in 1955. They spent a short while in California then returned to Montana. The family moved to Libby in 1963 and Gordon joined the work force in the St. Regis Lumber Mill until his retirement in 1992 from the Champion Mill.

He was a dedicated member of the United Methodist Church since 1964, he sang in the church choir and served on the board of trustees. After undergoing a divorce in 1967 he served in missionary work in the Philippines in the summer of 1968.

As a young man, until the early 1960's, he was a member of the Masons Brotherhood. Early in 1967 he began writing a biographical philosophical book continuing until his last years.

His hobbies included rock collecting, gardening, fishing, playing games especially pinochle, spending times in the woods and gathering wild mushrooms and berries. In his later years he dedicated his time to educating himself with nonfiction books and through these met peoples and places that gave him delight.

He met his present wife Ethyl and they were married in 1970. They were long-time members of the Libby Spinning Squares Square Dance Club.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, a young sister and his son Christopher. He is survived by his wife Ethyl of Libby as well as two brothers: Alvin of Helena, and Clayton of Byers, Colo.; three daughters: Violet and her husband Ron Johnson of Libby, Beverly Collingham of York, Neb., and Melody and husband Todd Keller of Gurley, Neb.; also one son, Lee Anderson of Sidney, Neb.; step children: Clarke and his wife Billie of Alaska, Joyce Walder and husband Richard of California and Judith of Libby; eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at the United Methodist Church in Libby on Friday, Jan. 6, at 2 p.m.