Andrea A. Anderson

Andrea A. Anderson was a loving wife, devoted mother and adoring grandmother. She worked hard for her family and for the wellbeing of others. She was always there to help. Kind by nature, Annie also had the grit to let her opinions be known. She was outspoken and strong, outgoing and funny. Being the people person that she was, Annie never met anyone who remained a stranger for long.

Andrea Annie was born to Ford E. and Mary F. (Adams) Ruckman at the Whitley County Hospital in Columbia City, Indiana on November 27, 1954. It was a significant year in U.S. history with the Supreme Court decision to desegregate schools, and the civil rights movement became a dramatic force in society. Jobs for a majority of Americans were plentiful in a lively economy, and growing families launched the baby boom era.

Andrea was raised on her familys farm in Larwill and attended the local elementary schools. Her interest and skill in baton twirling made her a very good fit for the high school cheerleading team. While still in high school, Annie was married and later gave birth to her daughter, Patricia. The marriage was brief, and soon she had met a man who would change the course of her life.

Annie was working in the Pierceton truck stop when Merle A. Anderson was driving his route from Iowa. She immediately caught his eye, and a relationship began that led to a marriage proposal one year later. On July 17, 1976, Annie and Merle were married in Osage, Iowa. The family of three grew to four when they welcomed baby Joseph the following year.

Annie was in her element as a wife and mothercooking, sewing and showing the kind of care that was able to include others. Often times, she offered her home as a place for kids to stay, and she even helped raise some of them. Annies way of welcoming people and making them feel at home came from her parents, who raised two boys (Bob and Roger) as their own children.

In 1982, the Anderson family moved back to Whitley County to help out on the Ruckman farm after Annies mother passed away. The move was truly an act of love, because Annie was sensitive to allergies that worsened on the farm and Merle took up farming in addition to truck driving. So while Merle did the outdoor work, Annie was busy indoors perfecting her cooking skills. She could cook just about anything, yet her family especially liked her meat balls, lasagna, tater tot hot dish and buttermilk chocolate bars. In fact, before she became ill on August 6th, Annie had all the ingredients measured out on the kitchen counter, ready to make buttermilk chocolate bars for her churchs bake sale. She was a member of Wolf Lake United Methodist Church and previously had attended Zion Lutheran Church and West Point Trinity United Methodist Church.

Food preparation played a major role in Annies home life, and it became part of her livelihood when she opened Annies Restaurant in Larwill in the early 1980s. She also worked in the kitchen at Whitko Middle School and at the Farmers Exchange Tavern for over 10 years, where she bartended on Thursday evenings and served as a waitress on Fridays and Saturdays. At home or at work, Annie was the life of the party and made sure everyone had a great time. Fortunately, she had a stern side to her that was necessary when dealing with some of the rowdies at the tavern. She knew her own mind and clearly let them know she was in charge.

In her free time, Annie collected Willow Tree figurines, made ceramics, sewed clothes and consulted for Longaberger Baskets. She enjoyed watching hummingbirds, listening to country music, shopping and going to Shipshewana flea market. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family and felt grateful to have her children living next to Merle and her. With the grandchildren being so close, Annie watched over them while their parents worked. Like she had done with so many children, Annie helped raise them to be the beautiful children they are today.

Andrea A. Anderson, age 60 of Larwill, Indiana, passed away at 12:53 p.m. Saturday, August 8, 2015 at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Survivors include her husband of 39 years, Merle Anderson; daughter, Patti (Ray) Draper of Larwill; son, Joe (Katie) Anderson of Larwill; sisters, Norma (Jack) Jerraid of Fort Wayne, Corrine (Delbert) Vetor of Bourbon and Dianne Zumbrun of Columbia City; brothers, Brad (Teah) Ruckman of Pierceton and Roger (Lin) Johnson of La Mesa, Cali.; sister-in-law, Lucy Ruckman of Columbia City; and eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Robert and William Ed Ruckman.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 from 2 to 8 p.m. at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with Pastor Matt Bock officiating. Burial will follow at South Whitley Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given to the family.