Clarence Selmer “Casey” Anderson passed away peacefully on Monday, November 26, in Nashville, Tenn. He was born on January 23, 1926, in Osnabrock, N.D., to Carl and Grace Anderson. After his birth, the family moved to Grand Forks, N.D., where Casey attended school.
In 1945, when he was 19, he enlisted in the United States Navy as Seaman First Class in Norman, Okla. He served at Banana River Naval Air Station where he was a Third Class Petty Officer. He was also an aviation machinist mate, aircraft mechanic, AAM3C. Casey was a proud veteran and, as recently at Veterans Day 2018, rode in the Nashville Veterans Day Parade.
In Grand Forks, he met Elizabeth Haaby and the couple married May 26, 1946. In 1947, they welcomed their only child, Grammy Award winner Lynn Anderson of the classic country mega-hit "(I Never Promised You) A Rose Garden." In 1951, the family moved to California, settling in a suburb of Sacramento, where Casey sold cars while Liz began realizing her passion for songwriting.
Casey was a member of the World Champion Drill Team “The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse” from 1957-1966. In 1960, he participated as one of 1,000 riders in the original reenactment of the Pony Express ride that commemorated the first 100 years of the United States Postal Service. For this event, Casey and Liz wrote “The Ballad of The Pony Express,” which became the official song of the ride.
Casey is the co-writer of one of Merle Haggard's first hits “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive." The song rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Country Charts, a first for Merle. The couple moved to Nashville in 1966 after producer Chet Atkins signed Liz to a contract with RCA Records. Casey and Liz were founding board members of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
Casey is survived by two granddaughters: Lisa Sutton (Eric) and Melissa “Bunny” Hempel (Rob); a grandson, Gray Stream (Katie); six great-grandchildren: Geddings, Fielder and Sanders Hempel, and Matilda, Lola and King Stream, nephews Gary Olix, Kip Milam and Randy Milam, and nieces Jodi Long and Dianne Olix. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 65 years, Liz Anderson, his daughter, Lynn Anderson, his parents, Carl and Grace Anderson, and sisters Irene Olix and Laverne Milam.
Arrangements are being handled by Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home in Nashville, Tenn. Visitation will be held tonight, Thursday November 29, from 5-8 p.m., and from 9:30 a.m. prior to the celebration of his remarkable life on Friday, November 30, at 11:30 a.m. in Woodlawn's Dignity Hall.
Visit the online obituary: www.woodlawn-roesch-pattonfh.com
