Art Anderson

1922 - 2016

Arthur Clarkson Anderson, passed away in Bow Island on Friday, November 18, 2016 at the respectable age of 94 years.

 Relatives and friends were invited to meet with the family at the Evangelical Free Church, 214 - 4 Avenue West, Bow Island on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 between 7:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M.

 The Funeral Service was held at the Evangelical Free Church, 214 - 4 Avenue West, Bow Island on Thursday, November 24, 2016 with a musical prelude starting at 1:00 P.M. followed by the service at 1:30 P.M. Burial followed at the Bow Island Cemetery. 

 Dad passed away peacefully on the morning of November 18, 2016 in Bow Island. They had just finally turned on some music for him, and Beethoven was playing. Perhaps he thought he had already gotten to heaven, so he decided to make it official and quietly breathed his last. He had reached the respectable age of 94 years.

 He was born at home in Hazlet, Saskatchewan on or around May 1, 1922, the second youngest in a family of seven. Max, Bill, Jim, Mabel, Ivan and Pat, all of whom passed on before him. He is also predeceased by his wife Nora, and grand-daughters Ellen and Amy. 

 Dad lived a long and interesting life, with a stint in the RCAF, various adventures and jobs, but eventually settling on the farm in Hazlet, and then Bow Island until his retirement. Dad was a man of many talents, well read and highly opinionated. He was very gracious in offering all of us the right to his own opinions... A trait which has not been passed down to even one of his eight children *cough-cough*.  Even though he could hold his own in any argument, his eyes would often sparkle as he would occasionally concede a point to one of us. He had special names for all of us, but for the sake of brevity, I will only list the original eight. Bob, Janet, Rennie, Leila, Barbara, Kathleen, Marie and Evan. He adored his many "outlaws" too, had thirty two grandchildren and fifty four great grandchildren. With a quiver full like that, he must have done something right.

 Dad loved to play baseball, checkers, horseshoes and bowling, which was his favorite. He was a long time member of Bow Island Evangelical Free Church, as well as being part of congregations in Lethbridge, Creston and Three Hills. 

 We will miss Dad's wit and charm, his keen humor, his love and deep appreciation of music and his uncanny ability of holding a conversation with all who crossed his path. Though the years were not always kind to him, and he forgot who we were, we will never forget him. We always felt that he never fully recovered from the loss of his wife and our mother, in 1984 as a result of a car accident. 

 What a legacy he has left to all of us. His humor, the names he made up for so many of us, the interesting puns he would fabricate would all make him an unforgettable character and loved by so many.  To try and condense his life into a few simple paragraphs is a daunting task, and one that will undoubtedly require a book.

 Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all who visited and cared for Dad, to the staff of the Pleasant View Lodge, Home Care and Bow Island Extended Care. You helped us negotiate a very difficult time, and we are so very grateful for your compassion and understanding.

 If you ever had occasion to encounter our Dad on your travels, you would recognize him by the jaunty flick of his index finger, always accompanied with a quick grin and nod of the head. So raise an index finger with me to salute a long life lived well.