Dorrine A. Anderson, age 82, longtime Delta County librarian and educator, of 1723 Montana Ave.; Gladstone, died Saturday, January 21st, 2006 at the Pinecrest Medical Care Facility in Powers where she was a patient for approximately five years.
Dorrine was born February 24th, 1923 in Ishpeming, the daughter of Herbert and Dorothy (Eman) Petersen and was raised in Ishpeming.
Her long educational background began with her 1940 graduation from the Ishpeming High School, with honors, and she later earned her B.S Degree, with distinction, in 1944 with an English major and history and biology minors at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. While attending MNU, she was active in the Inter-Collegiate Debate Squad.
Dorrine continued her post graduate studies during much of her working life beginning with her attendance at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. with a completed speech minor degree in the summer of 1945. From 1958 to1965, she continued her education with the University of Michigan Extension. In the summer of 1967, she attended the University of Washington in Seattle, at the N.D.E.A. School Library Institute.
Dorrine also attended Western Michigan University earning her Masters Degree in Library Science in 1970. She also attended Michigan State University, Management Seminar in 1976 and in 1977, attended University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Student Activities Seminar.
Dorrine Anderson had a long working career which included teaching English at the Eaton Rapids High School from 1944-1945; teaching English and speech at the Arlington Heights (Illinois) High School from 1945-1948. After returning to the Upper Peninsula, she taught English at the Nahma High School from 1948-1949. Dorrine also taught at the Gladstone High School in 1961 until May of 1962. In August of 1962, she was employed as librarian of the Gladstone School and Public Library. Dorrine later became Director of Media Services for the Gladstone Area Public Schools in 1971 and she retained that position until her retirement in 1987. Her favorite quotation, in her early college years and one that explains her thirst for knowledge is one by Goethe, “We are so constructed that we hate what we do not understand”.
Dorrine held many important positions on the local, state, and national levels some of which include the U.P. Region Library Board, Mid-Peninsula Library Federation, the White House Conference on Libraries, Delta County Library Board, President of the Delta County League of Women Voters, Delta County Library Board, history chairperson of the Gladstone Centennial Board, Delta County Bi-Centennial Board, MEA, NEA, and the Delta County Democratic Committee.
Dorrine was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Gladstone and was active Delta Kappa Gamma Society where she received the “Woman of Distinction Award” in 1986.
In her leisure, Dorrine enjoyed reading (especially historical novels and mysteries), cooking, traveling, walking, working cross-word puzzles, and in earlier years, she also took pleasure in ice-skating and swimming. Furthermore, she also had a flair for drawing and water-color painting, and had a genuine love for dogs all her life.
One of Dorrine’s early ambitions in life was to be a good wife and have to have four or five children, all of which she accomplished. Her ever present smile and twinkling eyes will always be remembered by family and friends.
Dorrine A. Anderson’s survivors include:
Her devoted husband, Harold E. “Babe” Anderson, whom she married August 23rd, 1947 in Milwaukee.
4 Sons- Brian (Patti) Anderson of Gladstone; Kent (Colleen) Anderson of Northville, MI; Bruce (Connie) Anderson of Mt Prospect, IL; Tim Anderson of Minneapolis, MN
1 Brother-Bernhardt “Buck” (Phyllis) Petersen of Ishpeming
4 grandchildren; Erik, David, Amy, and Kyle Anderson, and by nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, David, in 1954.
The family of Dorrine A. Anderson will receive friends on Wednesday at the First Lutheran Church in Gladstone from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Services celebrating her life will follow at 4:00 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church with Rev. Jonathan Schmidt officiating. Luncheon will follow services at the Church Fellowship Hall. Burial will be in the Gardens of Rest Cemetery; Wells. The Skradski-Boyce Family Funeral Homes of Delta County are assisting the Anderson family. The family respectfully requests memorials in her memory may be made to the Gladstone School Libraries or the First Lutheran Church. Envelopes will be available at church or the Skradski-Boyce Funeral Homes.
