[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 200 (Monday, December 1, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MR. JAMES ANDERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 1, 2025

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life and legacy of Mr. James Anderson of Goodman, 
Mississippi, a centenarian whose story is a testament to faith, 
humility, and resilience across generations.
  Mr. Anderson was born on September 18, 1923, in rural Sallis, 
Mississippi, in Attala County, the seventh of eight children in a 
family of sharecroppers. His early life was rooted in the soil, working 
the fields with his family and attending school part-time when farming 
allowed. Like many of his generation, he grew up during a time of deep 
racial and economic adversity but endured with quiet strength and an 
abiding belief in community.
  He later worked on farms, in factories, and as a bus driver, 
eventually retiring after decades of service. His career included 
driving for Dick's Drive-In and the local school system, and he served 
as a custodian and bus driver at Goodman-Pickens Elementary School, 
where he left a lasting impact on countless children. He retired from 
the school in 2005, continuing a life of labor, love, and service.
  Mr. Anderson was drafted and completed both basic and combat training 
in the U.S. military during World War II. Although he was never 
deployed into combat and was discharged without explanation, he has 
always maintained a deep respect for those who serve, and he continues 
to honor veterans with dignity and gratitude.
  A pillar in both his family and his faith, Mr. Anderson was ordained 
a deacon in 1947 and remained steadfast in that calling. He was married 
to the late Annie Lou Anderson for 73 years, until her passing in 1993. 
Today, at the remarkable age of 102, he still tends his yard, grows 
vegetables, and lives beside one of his daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Falls, 
who lovingly cares for him in Goodman, Mississippi.
  Mr. Anderson's philosophy is simple yet profound: ``All I know is 
love one another and be good to each other.'' In those words, and in 
the quiet witness of his life, lies the essence of what it means to be 
a good neighbor, a faithful servant, and a great American.
  Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. James 
Anderson, a living bridge between our Nation's past and future and a 
reminder that love, work, and faith remain the pillars of a meaningful 
life.

                          ____________________