Robert "Bob" Lee Anderson

Robert L Anderson, age 89, Springfield, MO, passed away in his home on November 21, 2023.

Bob was born November 18, 1934, in Springfield, Missouri and is preceded in death by his parents Gene and Stella Anderson, and all seven brothers and sisters, Kenneth, Max, Mary Ellen, Nona, Jean, Jack and Billy.  He was the youngest.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Evelyn Gregoroski Anderson, daughter Carol (Fred) Ellis, and son Darrell Anderson; grandchildren: Laura McCammon, Robert (Haylie) Wolf, Rachel (Billy) Taylor, and Steven Anderson; and great-grandchildren: Victoria, Jasmine, Nathan, Keira, Evelyn, Nicholas, Emmett, Owen, Zuri, and Krosby.

Bob was a Sergeant in the Army, Heavy Equipment division, stationed in Fort Leonard Wood from 1954 to 1959. His commitment led him to deployments in France and Austria. He retired from Paul Mueller as a skilled grinder in 1992.

He had a passion for restoring old cars and followed that circuit for many years. His clubs included Rods & Relics and Nostalgia Rods. There were several cars that he brought back to their glory. 1926 Tall T Ford coupe, 1940 Ford sedan, 1940 Chevy 2-door sedan, and a 1974 Pontiac just to name a few. Bob was a master in the art of trading. There were many RV's, cars, and trailers bought, fixed up, and sold, never to get taken on the road.

Favorite memories from the family include:

·         A 1965 black Mustang convertible arrived in the driveway, just in time for Carol, aged 15-1/2, who just knew it was a new car for her to                    drive. Before her birthday, it was traded for a boat, which she never got to ride in either.

·         Darrell remembers watching the Friday night races at the Fairgrounds as a child. Later he would help fix up the hot rods in the garage.

·         Laura remembers going to the greyhound dog racing with grandpa.  He would sit down with the racing paper, pull a pencil out of his hat,                and choose which dogs to bet on. She would get to pick one every now and then, if it wasn't based only on the dog's name. Bets were                  placed with grandpa just a step behind her.

·         Being pulled in a wagon around the "farm" by the lawnmower is one of Bob's fondest memories. There might even be an existing picture of            it!

·         Before Rachel would leave their house, grandpa snuck her away to eat orange creamsicles.

·         Steven remembers the dog races too, but also trips to the swap meet for bargain hunting, one of Grandpa's favorite pastimes.

Bob was a man of few words who avoided the spotlight. If anyone brought out a camera, he made himself scarce. If you tried to take his picture, you were just as likely to get a picture of his ballcap in front of his face. When you were around, he was a no-nonsense type of guy, so if you wanted to chit-chat, you had better take yourself to another room. Bob supported his family behind the scenes. He loved them deeply but told them more through acts, rather than words. He will be missed greatly by his family.

A family service will be held at Veterans Cemetery in late May or early June. If you want to consider a donation to your own favorite charity in his name, that would be appreciated.