Al Anderson, 69

Al Anderson, 13 days shy of his 70th birthday, with the Jefferson River in front of him and the Tobacco Root Mountains as background, stepped from the waters of this life into his afterlife. No one could have expected it.

He was born in Fridley, MN on January 29, 1951 to Hazel and Larry Anderson. He met his soulmate and wife of 55+ years at Fridley High School. After graduating he went to the University of Montana on a ski jumping scholarship while he pursued his education degree. He taught throughout Montana: in Glendive, Thompson Falls, Three Forks, and Willow Creek. He found his perfect match in Whitehall; he taught English, was the high school librarian, coached football, drove the ski bus, and pushed his students to be the best they could be. He loved teaching and he kept in touch with many students and faculty over the years. Being a lover of education he decided to pursue his Ph.D in Education while teaching at Whitehall. His last year in education was spent as the Superintendent in Fromberg.

He fell in love with Montana and found his own little piece of heaven on the Jefferson River outside of Three Forks, where he raised his family and became an entrepreneur. He even convinced his parents to leave the city and come out to share in his and Diane's dreams. It was always a team effort out there on the river, starting when he decided to teach himself (and the Anderson crew) how to build a log house, running the Canoeing House and many other projects. One small dream turned into a legacy, the Montana School of Log Building. Not only did he build houses for people, but had a class where people would come from all over the world for a week to learn how to build their own. He even made a video class series on how to build them and traveled the U.S. helping past students finish their creations.

He lived his dream daily and wanted to do what he loved every day so it didn't feel like work. After retiring from teaching for 28 years, he didn't really slow down. He just changed his focus to his Lewis & Clark canoe trips, building more log houses with his son Nick, building Three Forks Archery, walleye fishing (winter & summer), skiing, and continuing to dabble in real estate.

You could find him riding his "wheeler" around the property, checking on targets, looking for the moose, working in the log yard or on his latest remodeling project, chatting with someone who dropped by or anything else that could keep him busy. He didn't sit at rest very often, so if you were lucky enough to catch him idle, a rare moment, you probably became engaged in a long conversation

He was loving, devoted, hard-working and will be missed dearly by not only his family, but also by those whose lives he touched. He was preceded in death by his parents Larry and Hazel Anderson. He leaves behind his beloved wife Diane and three children Chrysti (Loran), Nick, Shelly (Brandon). He also leaves three grandchildren whom he said were one of the few things he liked about getting old, Alayna, Trapper, and Connor.

A celebration of life may be planned for this spring/summer. In the meantime, hug someone you love and live life to the fullest.