Azalee Anderson

Azalee Anderson, 92, of West Columbia, SC, passed away Monday night, August 16, 2021, at her home with her family surrounding her. “and the dust returns to the ground it came from and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7 Affectionately known as Mema, she was a loving, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, and taking care of her family. She was born at home on Taylor Street in Cayce and later moved to Poplar Street. She was often seen delivering groceries from her Dad's store on her motorized bicycle that her dad made for her. She was included in a 1938 ETV documentary on the Cayce Grammar School, turning the jump rope at recess. Her lineage on her mother's side, the Bachman family, has been traced and documented back to 1795 in Lexington, SC. Azalee would often take her Granddaddy Day by wheelchair from his home behind the State House to the State House grounds to feed the squirrels. She would visit her Grandmother Bachman in the country and help feed the chickens, bring up water from the spring and churn butter in an old hand churn that she still had. Her favorite story, at age 9 or 10, was the day her dad said she could not go with him to the office at the quarry, so she laid down on the running board of the old car they had and held on to the door handle, riding that way through lots of turns and curves. “When my dad returned to the car from the office, I was sitting in the car, but he didn’t think it was funny. I was in big trouble.” She was employed by Belk on Main Street, and she was the co-owner of LeeMars Decorating in West Columbia for 13 years. She was a woman of many names: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Daughter-In-Law, Sister-In-Law, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Friend, and her favorite, a Christian, who rededicated her life and was baptized again on January 25, 2015. The last several years of her life, she missed attending church, but her heart was always there. She was a member of First Baptist Church of West Columbia, a charter member of Holland Avenue, and a charter member of Kittiwake Baptist in Lexington. Lee never met a stranger and loved everyone that she met. She loved to travel and vacation with her family. She enjoyed cooking for everyone and was known for her congealed salads and chicken pot pie. She was a beautiful seamstress and made many items, including curtains and pillows for many friends. She is survived by the love of her life, her loving and devoted husband of 71 years (March 10, 1950) Boyd T. Anderson. “You love your wife. So enjoy life with her. Do it all the days of this meaningless life God has given you on earth. That’s what He made for you. That’s what you get for all your hard work on earth.” Ecclesiastes 9:9 She is also survived by her three children whom she adored: Linda Horton (Doug) of Irmo, Tom Anderson (Penny) of West Columbia, and Jennifer Parler (Jay) of West Columbia; her six grandchildren, whom she loved dearly: Tate Horton (Nicole Fox), Leslie Cogan (Braedan), Brantley Horton, Mitch Anderson (Hannah), Katie Parler, and Cameron Parler; her two great granddaughters, who stole her heart: Hallie Horton, and Kylie Anderson; and her devoted four-legged love, Russell. She was preceded in death by her parents, James Drayton Day and Inez Bachman Day; her brothers and sisters in-law, James Heyward Day, Toby Willis Day, Claude Ethan Day and Barbara Sox Day. A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 20, 2021, 2:00pm at Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington, 4720 Augusta Road, Lexington, SC, with burial to follow the service at Southland Memorial Gardens, 700 W. Dunbar Road, West Columbia, SC. A visitation will take place at 1:00pm at the funeral home. A talented and loving woman that will be missed. We love you, we miss you but will be with you again. Special thanks to Dad for loving Mom and being her caretaker during the last years of her life. We want to also thank Dr. Madden and his nurse, Tina Brantley, who, with God's blessing, provided twenty-two years of the best professional, and more importantly, personal care we could possibly ask for.