William Anderson Obituary

PAXTON – William A. "Bill" Anderson, 75, a retired Paxton farmer, passed away at 4:50 p.m. Monday, April 23, 2007, at Gibson Area Hospital, Gibson City.

A celebration of his life will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at the Evangelical Covenant Church, 260 S. Union St., Paxton. The Rev. Karen Lichlyter-Klein will officiate. The family will greet their friends immediately after the service in the fellowship hall of the church. Ford-Baier Funeral Home, Paxton, is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Anderson was born June 3, 1931, in Paxton, the son of William M. and Anna Nyren Anderson. He married Maxine R. Lutz on May 19, 1951, in Hoopeston. She survives.

Also surviving are one son, Greg (Kitty) Anderson of rural Paxton; one daughter, Gayle Griffin also of rural Paxton; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Jane Hemrich; one brother, Clinton Anderson; and one sister, Dorothy Baker.

Mr. Anderson graduated from Paxton High School in 1949. He farmed in rural Paxton for 45 years, retiring in 1995. He and his wife moved to central Florida, where he was a greenskeeper for the Harder Hall Golf Course in Sebring, Fla. They moved back to Paxton in May of 2005. He was a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church. At one time was director of the Ludlow Co-op Elevator Board and was also a committee member of the Ford County Farm Service Agency. He had served as a deacon at the Pontoppidan Lutheran Church in Elliott, the American Lutheran Church in Rantoul and the Faith Lutheran Church in Sebring, Fla. He was a member of the 44th National Guard, having served in France for one year. He enjoyed the out-of-doors, mainly playing golf, but his special time was being with his family.

Memorials may be made to the Evangelical Covenant Church; the Development Service Center, 1304 W. Bradley Ave., Champaign, IL 61821; the Church of Christ, Paxton; or a charity of the donor's choice.