SR1192 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1192 LRB102 28965 MST 40864 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Gerald Mack "Andy" Anderson, who passed away on August 23, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson was born in Cass County to Roscoe "Jack" Phineas and Virgie Lena (McHenry) Anderson on December 2, 1922; he graduated from Petersburg Harris High School in 1940, where he excelled in multiple sports; he entered the Rossiter Baseball School, and in 1941 and 1942, he played minor league baseball with the Springfield Brownies; during this time, he also worked at the Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Plant and later at Pillsbury Mills in Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson was drafted into the U.S. Army in January of 1943; he arrived in Casablanca, North Africa and joined the "Big Red One" (1st Infantry Division); he was assigned to the demolition squad and fought in Sicily; on June 6, 1944, his unit stormed Omaha Beach; after being wounded in France, he rejoined his platoon, which successfully held the northern flank in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded a second time; he was with his unit until shortly after V-E Day; he was discharged in 1945 and returned home; he was decorated with two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Heart Medals, and a Bronze Service Arrowhead; in February of 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina, he was one of the World War II veterans presented with the Legion of Merit Medal, which is France's highest military honor; and

WHEREAS, After his service, Andy Anderson returned to playing baseball in the minor leagues and working at Pillsbury Mills; he became the head coach of the Oakford Farmerettes, a female semi-pro basketball team comprised of young women from Oakford; he frequently commented on how proud he was to be involved with coaching these incredible ladies from Oakford, including two of his own sisters, who won an AAU State Championship every year they competed; he was also contracted as a professional umpire for the Georgia-Florida baseball league; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson returned to Oakford in 1949 and married the love of his life, Ethel Josephine Elan Hillman, a nursing student from Meadville, Pennsylvania; they had met just twice while he was on liberty in 1943, prior to being deployed overseas; he carried Josephine's picture with him and corresponded with her throughout his time overseas; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson started with the United States Post Office as a clerk in Springfield in 1958, and he and Josephine bought a house in Jerome; he became active in the United Federation of Postal Clerks and held positions at the local, state, and regional levels; in his spare time, he also successfully ran Handy Andy's Tree Service; he campaigned successfully for an elected position with the national American Postal Workers' Union (APWU) and moved to the Washington, D.C. area; he was very skilled in mediation and arbitration and traveled around the country resolving disputes involving union members until 1985; he served as the assistant director of the APWU until his retirement in 1986; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson and Josephine built a home in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he held a golf membership and pursued his love of golf full time, playing the Pinehurst courses with various groups four to five days a week; after the passing of his wife, he remained in Pinehurst, staying active on the golf course, participating in Veterans' Day parades, having breakfast with the "Dirty Dozen" at Mac's restaurant, and hosting annual birthday parties at Beefeaters until the fall of 2019 when he moved back to Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson faithfully attended the Big Red One reunions, postal union conventions, the Normandy D-Day anniversaries, and special events in Springfield and Oakford; he established an annual nursing scholarship for a PORTA high school senior, in memory of Josephine; he is the only person who has twice been inducted into the PORTA High School Hall of Fame; in April of 1922, he was honored by the Clinton Lodge #19 A.F. & A.M. in Petersburg for 75 years of membership; he was generous to numerous charities, and his memory of how difficult times were in the Great Depression seemed to propel his generosity toward others throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson was enthusiastic about educating successive generations about the sacrifices made by those who never came home from World War II; he passed an incredible legacy on to more than 40 of his family members when he generously paid for them to take an amazing 10-day trip to Europe with him, to visit the battle sites and learn about World War II; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Josephine; his parents; his sisters, Lucille (Paul "Ham") Lutes, Roberta (Donald) Stroh, Esther (Gilbert) Fricke, and Phyllis Leinberger; his brothers, Randall Paul, Roscoe Arthur "Art" (Jackie), and Eugene "Bugeye" Anderson; his niece, Linda Horn; and his nephew, Bret Leinberger; and

WHEREAS, Andy Anderson is survived by his sister, Virginia (Otto, deceased) Winkelmann; his sister-in-law, Glenda (Eugene, deceased) (Bohm) Anderson; his brother, Robert "Bob" (Wanda, deceased) Anderson; his nieces, Deann Shelabarger, Brenda Vost, Lana (Ted) Grothe, Sandra (Robert) Newman, Carol (Kris) Blake, Beverly Leinberger, Rhonda Davis, Lisa (Fred Zar) Anderson, Gina (Phil) Nottingham, Barbara Rebbe, Amy (Charlie) Todd, and Brenda (Kenny) White; his nephews, Andy (Susie) Winkelmann, Tracy (Judy) Anderson, Bart (Rhonda) Leinberger, Allan (Shirley) Anderson, Dan Fricke, and Greg (Amanda) Anderson; and several great-nieces and great-nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Gerald Mack "Andy" Anderson and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Andy Anderson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.