Erie Glae Dickerson Anderson

Erie Glae Dickerson Anderson, age 90, passed away Tuesday, January 17, 2012, in Ozark, Arkansas. Glae lived an active life raising her five children while teaching home economics and English. She loved gardening and golfing in her retirement, and she always enjoyed talking about her children and grandchildren’s accomplishments. Glae was born on August 9, 1921, in Quay, Oklahoma, but she spent most of her childhood in Cass, located in Franklin County, Arkansas. Her grandfather William Miller helped build the town of Cass and owned the general store and lumber mill there. Her teaching career started at a young age in Cass as she taught the first- and second- graders when she was only in fourth grade. When she was 13, the family moved to Ozark, where Glae made her lifelong home. She graduated from Ozark High School in 1938 at the age of sixteen, followed by a degree in home economics in 1942 from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She later got her Masters Degree from the University of Arkansas. She taught in Ola, Alma, and Altus before her long career at Ozark. During her career she served as state president of the Arkansas Home Economics Teachers Association. She married Demus Anderson on Nov. 1, 1944, while he was home on leave from his service in the Navy during World War II. They spent some time in New Orleans before he was shipped out again. After the war they lived in Fort Smith for a short time before returning to Ozark for the rest of her life. Glae was devoted to her family, cooking many meals, organizing birthday parties, and making sure all of her children made their grades and got college educations. After her retirement from teaching, she and Demus enjoyed golfing all over Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Both of them continued golfing until they were well into their 80’s. Her other passion was gardening. Her yard was her joy. She spent many hours tending to it and enjoying the birds, blooms, and butterflies. Her specialty was flower arranging, which she did with the flowers from her yard. She made many arrangements for church events and the county fair, where she won several grand champion ribbons. She was a charter member of the T.T.T. society in Ozark and a member of the First United Methodist Church since 1937, where she sang alto in the choir and participated in the United Methodist Women. She was also an active participant in the Ozark Garden Club. . She is survived by her devoted and loving husband of 67 years, Demus Eldridge Anderson of Ozark, as well as her five children, Andrea Kay Romo (Fred) of Ozark, Robert Coe Anderson of Fayetteville, William LaDell Anderson (Catherine) of Bethesda, Maryland, Julie Daigh Robinson (David) of Russellville, and John Dickerson Anderson (Karla) of Bellevue, Washington. She had eight grandchildren, Bret Betnar of Lincoln, Nebraska, Bart Betnar (Yumi Nakajima) of Pusan, South Korea, Nate Anderson (Lynn Teo) of Boston, Massachusetts, Amanda Daigh Anderson (Matt McNally) of Washington, D. C., Katie Jacks and Lindsey Jacks of Russellville, and Ian and Ava Anderson of Bellevue, Washington. Her two great-grandchildren are Asana and Kai Nakajima Betnar of South Korea. She was preceded in death by her parents, Martha Miller Dickerson and Arrie T. Dickerson, her sister, Euta Bece Dickerson Hightower, and her brother, Arrie Coe Dickerson.

Erie Glae Dickerson Anderson

August 9, 1921 - January 17, 2012