Frances Peyton Anderson

COLUMBIA - FRANCES IS FREE! Her fiery spirit finally broke free from her earthly body at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 30, 2014. She had been tormented for much of the past decade by severe dementia, crippling arthritis and near total loss of sight and hearing. She can now soar with the spirits in the great beyond. We will miss her, but are delighted for her and hope to see her again someday. She epitomized all that was good and pure in the human species. She loved and was loved; she gave unto others and from others she received innumerable blessings. She never learned to drive an automobile; but she successfully drove through the intricacies of family rearing, furniture refinishing, antique appraisals, gardening and landscaping and most importantly the nurturing of good friends. She was so very, very special. Frances was born on May 24, 1922 to George Vivian and Esther Graham Payton. She graduated from Columbia High in 1940 and for her final two years of high school wrote a bi-weekly column for The State entitled “Sub-Deb Rambles.” She attended USC for two years with an eye on becoming a journalist but married Lt. Harvey H. Anderson, Citadel Class of 1941, on September 20, 1942. Harvey was soon off to war and would become a career Air Force officer. He and Frances with daughters, Sally and Gail would enjoy many travels and adventures at his different duty stations but would come back to retire in Columbia in 1968. Frances was active with the Columbia Garden Club and would become an honorary lifetime member. She and Harvey were longtime members of the Columbia Drama Club. They resided at 1531 Heatherwood Drive from 1968 until Harvey’s death in 2002. In addition to her parents and Harvey, she was predeceased by her two younger brothers, George Vivian Peyton Jr. and John Graham Peyton and daughter, Gail Anderson Childress. She is survived by her daughter, Sally Sansbury (Gene) of Columbia; grandson, Steve “Holiday” Childress (Lily) of Asheville, N.C.; granddaughter, Stephanie Childress Gilbert (Chris) of Asheville, N.C.; great-grandchildren, Micah Gilbert, Sebastian and Gabriel Childress and niece Louise Anderson Freeman (Marc) of Tallahassee, Fl. Deeply loving and appreciating the magnificent beauty of earth, nature and man, she would be honored by any act of kindness you could perform to others, any donation to your favorite charity or any special way in which you would like to remember her. A service celebrating her life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 4, 2014, at Trenholm Road United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the church parlor. The family would like to express their sincere thanks to Palmetto Health Hospice – Pam, Myrtice, Sherry and all the others for their valuable assistance in allowing Frances to live her last months at home and take her final breath in the first house she and Harvey ever owned. Special thanks go to the nursing staff at Still Hopes who cared for her for many years and to Lien for all her kindness and love. Dunbar Funeral Home, Northeast Chapel, is assisting the family.