He was raised in Moberly, Mo. and attended Moberly Junior College. He played for Moberly Greyhound’’sbasketball team and was recognized for his extraordinary talent. His love of the game played an important role throughout his life and the team concept he learned from playing the sport was the philosophy he practiced in his daily life. He was definitely excited to see the Kansas Jayhawks win the 2008 NCAA Championship.
He worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company for 35 years and retired in 1983. He was offered a job after his retirement with United Telecom where he worked in both Missouri and Kansas in charge of laying fiber optical cable until his final retirement in 1986.
He served in the Army in the Korean War, where he spent 18 months. He received a medal for his heroic achievements. He was a member of the Granite Lodge #272 AF & AM, the Sedalia Shrine Club, Moose Lodge # 1494, Telephone Pioneers, Smith-Cotton Booster Club and VFW Post 2591. He was also a member of the First Christian Church.
He enjoyed spending time at the golf course and supporting the Shriner’’s Hospital by calling Bingo at the Shriner’’s Bingo hall and sponsoring crippled children. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and a supporter and fan of all sports especially his children and grandchildren’’s sporting events. He instilled the importance of hunter safety and the skills that go along with hunting and fishing to his children and grandchildren and
promoted sportsmanship in his coaching years, through the Sedalia Khoury League and traveling softball teams. He was a friend to many people and never met a stranger in his life. He loved sitting down with friends at the Red Apple Restaurant and Kehdes for breakfast or lunch and telling his newest joke. Surviving are two daughters, Vicki Fitzwilliam, and her husband, Rick, of Sedalia, and Kindra Anderson- Weaver, and her companion, Paul Delp, of Montgomery City, Mo; four grandchildren, Chella Fitzwilliam, Nyle Fitzwilliam, Jada Weaver and Jerod Weaver; a great-grandson; Landyn Daniel Miller and a sister, Ardyth Bardot, of St. Charles, Mo.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, at the Heckart Funeral Home, with the Rev. Jim Stovall officiating. Pallbearers will be Ed Murry, Nyle Fitzwilliam, James Anderson, Don Reyburn, Jerod Weaver and Gene Meyer. Honorary pallbearers will be Al Layton, Roy DeHaven, Van White and Patsy Lang.
Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery with full military honors by V.F.W. Post 2591.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with Masonic services at 7:30 p.m.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the American Kidney Foundation or the Shriner’’s Children Hospital.
Condolences may be sent on line at www.heckartfunerlhome.com.
Roderick ““Rod”” Adel Anderson, 79, of Sedalia, died Sunday, April 13, 2008, at Bothwell Regional Health Center.
He was born Oct. 23, 1928, in Moulton, Iowa, a son of Maurice and Gladys Wood Anderson. On Feb. 14, 1954, he was married to Bonnie Sue Wenzel, who survives of the home.
