Remembering My Father

Clarence Anderson
February 21, 1896 – July 5, 1964

My father, “Andy” Anderson as he was known all his life, was born in Taylorville, Illinois. He was the youngest of seven children born to Archelaus and Leah Grace Anderson. When he was three years old, he had an ear infection that resulted in severe hearing loss. Despite his deafness, he graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Engineering and went on to serve in World War I as a “Plane Spotter.” It was thought at the time that deaf people had exceptional eyesight. While in college he met Winifred Barnes of Kansas City and he married her in 1920. They made their home in Kansas City where my sister and I were born. He was very proud of his Scottish heritage (MacLeod clan) which could be traced back to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s time. My father lost my mother in 1957, and died of a stroke shortly after my first son was born in 1964. He is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City and I plan to visit his grave on my trip back to Missouri this week.