Barbara Jean Anderson

Barbara passed away with her daughters at her side on April 11, 2020 in Edmonds, WA. She was born July 2, 1924, in Oak Park Illinois to Dane W. and Hilda M. (Steinmetz) Stanton. She was preceded in death by her parents, four siblings, and husband Ambrose (Andy) C. Anderson. Barbara attended high school in Oak Park, Illinois and worked as a switchboard operator for Bell Telephone. She was transferred to their Bremerton office in 1942. On December 27, 1947 she married Ambrose C. Anderson in Bremerton. In the early years of their marriage, Barbara worked as a bookkeeper in Seattle, commuting by ferry each day, then in the offices of Dr. Jacobson and then Dr. P. Bramwell in Bremerton. After working for Sears, JC Penny and local interior decorators fabricating draperies, she started her own drapery business, Barbara’s Custom Draperies, in 1965. Her business thrived until her retirement in 1998. Andy and Barb were a devoted couple, rarely spending more than a few days apart over their 60 years together. They travelled extensively, visiting wherever their two daughters were living; Nevada, England, Okinawa, Turkey, and Sicily. They also enjoyed camping trips in their trailer across the US and Canada with family and friends. At the age of 85, Barbara met cousins in Germany and visited the farms where her great-great grandparents had lived. Barbara remained in her Bremerton family home until 2013, when she moved to Cristwood Retirement Community in Shoreline, WA. At Crista she volunteered in the library, enjoyed water aerobics and made new friendships. Barbara was an accomplished knitter who loved making sweaters and blankets for her family. She enjoyed growing roses and begonias. A gracious hostess, she and Andy held special dinners for friends and numerous holiday family meals, always with a beautifully set table and ample food. Barbara was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran church in Bremerton and helped assemble quilts with the ladies sewing circle there. Barbara is survived by her daughters, Nanci Andvik of Silverdale and Sandra Roberts and husband, Don of East Wenatchee. She was “Nonny” to her three granddaughters (Kira, Tjelle, and Jillian), three grandsons (Elliot, Dane, and Stewart) and seven great grandchildren. Barbara will be interned alongside her husband in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Bremerton on July 2, 2020. Our family expresses heartfelt thanks to Dali and Adrian Marchis and the staff at Sunset Villa for caring for Barbara in her last months. We encourage you to share your favorite memories of Barbara through her online memorial @ www.beckstributecenter.com.