Nellie Lorene Anderson

September 12, 1919 - March 28, 2021

Nellie “Lorene” Anderson passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 28th, 2021 at the age of 101 years, 6 months, 16 days. She was born September 12th, 1919 in Rose, Oklahoma. Her parents were Cherokee Clyde Thompson and Flora Bell (Mathews) Thompson. She was the fifth child of nine. Lorene’s life was difficult growing up in the Great Depression. The family lived in a tent with a dirt floor for several years while her dad share cropped to scrape together a living. Lorene grew up working in the fields, cleaning houses, baby sitting, and working for the county extension office. There, she demonstrated how to can, plant gardens, sew, etc. Lorene won first place at the county fair in canning and was awarded with a trip to Stillwater for her embroidering work. While living at Carter as a teenager, she would ride to town with a neighbor and stay at a friends house during the week in order to attended Bagley High School where she attended for two years. She moved to Shady Grove with her parents. Lorene would go to church every Sunday. This is where she met a young man named Coy. Coy would walk Lorene home after church. Lorene moved to Tulsa with her sister Gladys to work in a tent factory and then for McDonald Douglas for 2 ½ years during WWII. After the war, she married James Coy Anderson on August 7th 1946 and made their home in Tahlequah. They worked together throughout their 68 years of marriage before his passing in 2014. She managed the home, cared for their three children doing laundry and cooking three meals a day while also maintaining the books for their rentals and the Anderson Bait Shop. Everyone will tell you she was an excellent cook, making it all from scratch. She also assisted with cleaning and building rentals and managing the bait shop. She always said they made a pretty good team. She loved spending time her family, enjoyed her flowers, music, and playing cards. She recorded the Top 50 Country Hits every week. The family would get together frequently to play Pitch and Canasta. All of their children and grandchildren played cards. She actually won a Canasta game a few days before she passed. Her mind was sharp and she still enjoyed music, cards, reading the Daily Press, doing word searches and recording her memories. Her only complaint was she couldn’t work because of pain and numb hands. She was preceded in death by her husband Coy, parents, and all her siblings. Those left to cherish her memories are her two daughters, Carolyn Latty and husband Jerry of Tahlequah, Sharon Beck and husband Bob of Tahlequah; one son, James Ronald Anderson and wife Kim of Katy, Texas; 10 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, 1 great great grandchild, and a host of nieces and nephews.