Thomas Anderson

Thomas LeRoy Anderson, one of sixteen children of John Joplin Anderson and Margaret Lillian (Tilley) Anderson, was born near Pilot Mound, Iowa on March 22, 1927. He grew up in the Boone, Iowa area where he attended school. Tom's first job was with his father in the coal mines in Boone County. On September 17, 1944, Tom only sixteen years old, enlisted in the U.S. Navy. During World War II, Tom served on the USS Kalonin Bay and the USS Skirmish where he was wounded in action when the Skirmish was sunk by Japanese Zeros. Following the war, Tom returned to Boone where he met Beatrice Imogene Moss. They were married August 23, 1946 and continued to live in the Boone area. Their marriage was blessed with three of their five children, Dennis, Kathina, and Camilla while living in Boone. Later the family moved to California where Tom was a glass blower and their fourth child, Janice was born. The family then returned to Boone where Thomas was born. Eventually the family moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa and Tom worked for a truck trailer repair company. In 1964, Tom and Beatrice moved to Denver, Colorado. Tom accepted a position with Jim Hawk Truck & Trailer Repair C...[more]

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any and the family returned to Council Bluffs. Tom and Beatrice moved to Malvern, Iowa in the fall of 1973 where Tom eventually built their home. Tom retired in 1990 and they continued to live in Malvern. Tom's enjoyments included fishing and hunting, gardening and lawn care, raising canaries, and making homemade wines. Tom is remembered as the world's best mushroom hunter. He loved music and was happy when he could play the guitar and sing country music. Tom's family, guitars, fishing poles, and dogs brought him great enjoyment. Tom and Beatrice had been married 58 years when Tom died at the Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa on March 7, 2005. Tom had attained the age of 77 years, 11 months, and 15 days. Tom was preceded in death by his parents; son Thomas Anderson; brothers Joe Anderson, Bud Anderson and Jack Anderson; and sister Honey Lou Hefler. In addition to his wife Beatrice, Tom is survived by his children Dennis Anderson and his wife Galena of Hinckley, Illinois, Kathina Hansen of Phoenix, Arizona, Camilla Shaeffer of Denver, Colorado, Janice Frerichs and her husband Don of Malvern, and daughter-in-law Trudy Anderson of Red Oak, Iowa; brothers Harold Anderson of California, Gary Anderson and Butch Anderson both of Boone; sisters Leone Erickson, June Stoneburner, Doris Banford, Evelyn Gilliam, Peg Beilfelt, Lillian Lynn, Irene Huntley all of Boone, and Velletta Coates of Malvern; 17 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.