Phyllis Anderson

Phyllis Marie Anderson, 97, 204 2nd Ave. N., Clear Lake, died Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, at the Oakwood Care Center.  According to her wishes, her body has been cremated.  A celebration of her life is being planned for the spring, with burial at the Clear Lake Cemetery.

      Phyllis was born on Feb. 22, 1916 to Roy and Allene (Taylor) Felt in Mason City.  She attended Monroe Grade School and graduated from Mason City High School in 1933.  She attended Mason City Junior College and Iowa State University, where she pledged Tri Delta Sorority and finished her education at Hamilton’s Business College in 1936.

     Phyllis worked at several secretarial jobs in Mason City.  On Jan. 6, 1944, she was united in marriage to Lieutenant John W. Anderson, Jr., of Clear Lake.  She followed him to all his different posts during WWII and learned her love of travel.  After his discharge, they made their home in Clear Lake.  To this union two children were born, Jane Allene and John W. (Jack) III.

     John passed away on Aug. 16, 1963.  Phyllis then went to work for Fibraco and then the Clear Lake Telephone Co. as a cashier until her retirement.  She was a member of the Clear Lake Women’s Club, Today’s Club, and Clear Lake Women Golfers, serving as bridge chairman.  Phyllis loved playing cards, especially bridge.  In her younger days, she enjoyed bowling and golf, and never lost her love of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, which her father raised.  When she married John it was a requirement that she play golf with him.  She was most proud of her “Hole in One” in 1991 at 74 while playing with her daughter at Oak Hills.  When in California, she enjoyed seeing the Bob Hope Golf Tournament.  In 2002, her daughter took her to see Tiger play at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota. In 2001, her son, Jack, gave her a trip to Australia and New Zealand, which fulfilled a life-long dream.

     She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Clear Lake.

     Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Jane Held of Lake Forest, Calif.; son, John (Jack) and Idrene Anderson of Mission Viejo, Calif.; granddaughter, Michelle Held; and great-grandson, Jakob Anderson of Mission Viejo, Calif.; cousins Lorraine Slade of Parker, Colo., and Hal Taylor of Sitka, Alaska.

     She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.  

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.