[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18341]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING LEAUTHA LANORA ``LEE'' ANDERSON

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 2011

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the 
life of a beloved woman in the Modesto Community, Leautha Lanora 
``Lee'' Anderson. She was born July 26, 1921, to Mary Alena (Carl) and 
Lloyd Buster Nutt near El Reno, Oklahoma and died November 15, 2011, in 
Modesto, CA. She was the second born of seven sisters.
  Her parents were poor farmers and she grew up working the fields and 
herding cattle. Her father had hoped for a son, so he nicked named her 
``Buck''. Lee was one of the few remaining true Frontier Women. She 
could shoot a rifle from the back of a galloping horse and could light 
a match from a hundred paces with a rifle that is still in the family 
today. April 24, 1941, Lee married Alfred Anderson Jr. after a 
whirlwind relationship of three weeks. They began married life in 
Vinita, Oklahoma. On a wintry November day in 1942, they left for 
California with their savings of $80.00. They settled in Carlsbad, 
California where their first-born son, Dwight was born May of 1943. 
They enjoyed the coastal town and beaches. While there, Lee worked for 
actress Rita Hayward, who allowed her to bring baby Dwight along with 
her to the home. In 1945, Lee and Andy moved and resettled in the 
lovely central valley town of Modesto with its fertile farming and 
dairy land.
  They bought an unfinished home that had no interior walls or 
electricity. Their house payment was $10.00 a month. Son, Thomas was 
born there February 1946. A new home was purchased in the then 
developing outskirts in 1951. Lee took great pride in caring for her 
new home until her dying day. Lee and Andy were blessed with two more 
sons with the arrival of Michael in May of 1960, and Troy, November 
1961.
  She was preceded in death by her late husband, Andy, of 63 years in 
March 2003. They had four sons together; Dwight A. Anderson (Leslie) of 
Oakdale, CA., Thomas E. Anderson (Kathleen) of Sonoma, CA., Michael D. 
Anderson (Angela) of Modesto and Troy A. Anderson (Elizabeth) of 
Modesto. Lee is also survived by three remaining sisters; Gladys W. 
Antle, Joann Delhart, and Janice Pence, all of Ceres, CA. She was 
blessed with 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
  Lee was an active ``Gold Star'' grandmother. She was preceded by her 
grandson, Cpl. Michael Anderson Jr., who was a United States Marine, a 
member of the Famed 3/5 Darkhorse Infantry Unit. Cpl. Anderson Jr., was 
tragically killed in combat action during the successful ``Battle of 
Fallujah'' in December 2004.
  Leautha was a devout Christian, accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as 
her savior at the age of 19 and was baptized in the Holy Ghost 6 years 
later. She attended and was a faithful member of Calvary Temple Worship 
Center in Modesto where she was also a member of the church choir. She 
was surrounded by love and will be dearly missed by those who knew or 
associated with her.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Leautha Lanora ``Lee'' 
Anderson for her unwavering faith in God and love of country and 
family. The life of Leautha Lanora ``Lee'' Anderson serves as an 
example of excellence to those in our community, and her legacy will 
not be soon forgotten.

                          ____________________