Funeral services for Lois R. Anderson, age 70, of Reeder, ND will held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Reeder, ND. Pastor Stephanie Swanson will officiate with burial to follow at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Reeder.


Lois R. Anderson was born on December 23, 1938, in Rochester, Pennsylvania. She was the only child of Arthur and Elsie Richardson of Aliquippa, PA. She graduated from Hopewell High School in 1956 and attended college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduating in 1960 with a degree in home economics. She was employed as a teacher for the Baden-Economy school district for three years.


Lois met her husband Daryl in the summer of 1963 when their paths crossed in Lewistown, Montana while each was on vacation with friends. A long- distance romance ensued and Daryl proposed on June 24, 1964. They were joined in marriage on October 10, 1964 at House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Aliquippa, PA and Lois moved west to the plains of North Dakota.


Lois spent her life as wife, mother and grandmother. Her son Doug was born in 1966, her daughter Lonna in 1973. She was very involved in her children's education helping with school projects and making sure the homework was done on time. She spent much time helping Daryl with the farm, often serving as shuttle driver when moving between fields. She was active in community affairs serving on the Reeder School Board in the 1980s and was frequently seen at the senior citizen's center and at Mabel's Medicine Chest.


Following the birth of Lonna's son Shawn in 1992, Lois came down with a severe case of "grandma-itis", often driving across the state to Fargo to help out with the baby. Her life was further brightened by the birth of Jordan in 1994 and Tanner in 1997. Grandma's house was always the place the boys could go to wreak the havoc that they couldn't at home.


Lois was very creative and was what might be called a "serial hobbyist", enjoying the pursuit of many arts-and-crafts projects over the years. Interests included ceramics, dollhouses, and dried flower arranging. She was an avid and talented seamstress and made many of her children's and grandchildren's clothes when they were young. She loved Christmas time and took great delight in decorating her home with multiple trees. In the 1990s she took over from Daryl's mother Alma the job of family historian and became a passionate "scrapbooker". She organized and documented the Anderson family history, her wedding, and her children's and grandchildren's school years and lives.


Lois passed away on Tuesday evening, May 12, 2009 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger.
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he is survived by her husband of 44 years, Daryl, Reeder; her son, Douglas, Washington, DC; her daughter and son-in-law, Lonna and Sheldon Sanford, Reeder; three grandchildren, Shawn, Jordan and Tanner Sanford; and three cousins, Charles Wilker and Jay Wilker, Sewickley, PA and Lynn Wilker, Virginia Beach, VA. Special friends include Kate Brennan, Slippery Rock, PA; Donna Peer, Aliquippa, PA; Susan Bean, Mason, OH; and Carole Conrad, Rapid City, SD.


She was preceded in death by her parents and her close friend Florence Jackson of Reeder.


Visitation will from 11:00 a.m. to the time of the service on Monday at the church in Reeder.