John Anderson,

John Richard Anderson Junior, 71, a resident of Deming, NM departed this life on July 4, 2008. John was born to John Richard Sr. and Pauline (Henderson) Anderson September 3, 1936 in Georgetown, Arkansas. He leaves behind a loving wife Judie Anderson of Deming, NM.; two sons, John Richard Anderson and wife Kesi of Gravette AR.; James Paul Anderson of Romance, AR.; three step sons, Jason Bramblett and wife Rachel of Manchester, TN.; Justin Bramblett and wife Cari of Dublin, OH.; and Jerry Thiesse of Searcy, AR.; one devoted sister Glenda Graham of Searcy, AR.; two brothers-in-law, Kenneth Dover and wife Linda of Rogers, AR.; Robin Dover of Deming, NM.; one sister-in-law, Dr. Shanni Dover and husband John Pendergrist of Tempe, AZ.; twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. John was preceded in death by his parents John Richard Sr. and Pauline Anderson. Only those who knew John could understand just how fitting it was for him to have passed from this world on the fourth of July, Independence Day. John was one of the strongest most independent souls to walk this earth. He faced life on his own terms and lived by his own rules. Those who lived around John understood that his bearing and personality made him just a little larger than life. He could do no other than pass from this life to the next in the midst of celebration and fireworks. Aside from family, the thing that gave John the most pleasure was prospecting. Nothing gave John greater joy than digging in the earth, hiking in the mountains and hunting for treasure. Mother Earth drew John like a magnet. There was always the ever present lure of what lies beyond the next stone. A fossil, a crystal, an opal, or semi-precious stone; he saw these for what they were, "gifts" from mother earth. With each load of ore his eyes would sparkle as he searched for that days find. John understood better than the rest of our world that it's the earth that gives us life. There were those who teased John about being born during the wrong century. They say he should have been born during the gold rush or in the time of the "Mountain Man". Truth be told, John was our gift from God. He reminded us every day that we depend on this earth for our very survival. There were a great many lessons that John taught us from living off the land to channeling fear and doubt into strength. May we take those lessons and pass them on to the next generation. Like John, let us take joy from the simple and seemingly mundane around us, no matter how much or how little we may have.