Stella Bernice Anderson

Stella Bernice Anderson, 96, of Houston, died Thursday, May 27, 2004, at Valley View Nursing Home in Houston, Minn. She was born on June 8, 1907, in Houston, Minn., to Adolph and Anna (Halvorson) Anderson. She graduated from Houston High School in 1925 and from Winona State Teachers College in 1927, after completing the college's two-year teacher's training. She taught one year in Grand Meadow, Minnesota (sixth grade and music), and two years in Mountain Lake, Minnesota (music). In September of 1930, she left for Washington, D.C. to attended Temple Business School from which she graduated in 1931. She then became employed at The American Chemical Society (ACS), Washington, D.C., where she worked until her retirement in 1970. When first at ACS she kept records on the technical manuscripts which were offered for publication in several scientific periodicals: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Chemical and Engineering News. For many years she, along with the rest of the ACS staff, spent summers working at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where the ACS staff moved as a break from the summer heat in Washington. Over the years at ACS, she was given more and more editorial responsibilities including the position of associate editor of Industrial and engineering Chemistry. While in Washington she studied voice with Margaret Rabold of the Peabody Conservatory of Music and had as her vocal coach Sol Sax, principal pianist with the National Symphony Orchestra. She enjoyed singing lieder, and memorized more than 500 songs by Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, Grieg, Wolf, Strauss, Mahler, Webern, Sibelius, Berlioz, Schubert, Schumann and many more, often with a page of verse in hand as she walked to work. She was a member of the Washington Choral Society and sang in the National Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir for 23 years. Stella Memorized poetry as well; she seemed to have a poem memorized for every subject which could come up in a conversation. But Stella was also a gifted and witty poet in her own right, composing verses for special occasions, friends, or various commentaries on subjects of her interest. Stella was an excellent amateur photographer of nature and scenery, a member of the Audobon Society, a keen advocate of environmental issues, and an avid reader. She enjoyed traveling, first going to Europe in 1938 (brave lady!). She made several trips to Norway (for pleasure and to track family genealogy), but also included in her travels were the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Tangier, and Canada. Upon her retirement in 1970, she returned to her childhood home in Houston where she resided with her sister and brother-in-law, Geneva and Ingvald Dahle. During retirement she remained active in many church and community activities including her membership at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Houston (Senior Choir, ALCW, and Circle), local election judge, and the Houston Housing Authority. In 1999, she moved from the farm to the Valley View Manor apartments where she lived until moving to Valley View Nursing Home in November of 2002. She is survived by many nieces, cousins and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers: Stanley, Laurence and Reuben, and sisters: Martha, Ruth, Geneva, and Alice. There will be a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2004, at the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Houston with the Rev. Lane Zaffke officiating. Burial will be in the Stone Church Cemetery in Houston. Friends may call from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service at the Church. Hoff Funeral Homes - Houston Chapel is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.