Loretta Elizabeth Anderson

Loretta Elizabeth (Hammer) Anderson of Del City, Oklahoma passed away peacefully at 98 years old, on the morning of 13 May 2023, with family members by her side. She was born 19 September 1924 in Calvert Maryland, she was the first of 5 children born to Ida May and Clarence Hammer. Her siblings are Clarence (Bud), Gloria, Henry and Jay.

Loretta was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years Maurice M. Anderson Sr., her son Maurice (Matt) M. Anderson Jr., her daughter Sharon McMasters, 3 grandchildren, and her brothers Clarence Hammer and Henry Hammer. She is survived by her children Maureen Ferguson, Mark Anderson, Linda Barnhill, Karen Loughrige, Lori Zuest, Brian Anderson, Keith Anderson, Kevin Anderson; 15 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; and 8 great-great grandchildren.

While in High School Loretta participated in intermural sports, including field ball, basketball, and track and field relay team. She was on the school newspaper and a representative of her class for the student council in High School. She enjoyed writing and one of her prized possessions was a gold medal she won for an essay contest in 1940 sponsored by the Goldey Beacom College of Willington Delaware.

Loretta was married to Maurice on 3 January 1942. During those times families in rural communities knew of each other, however, Loretta and Maurice officially met when she was 16, and working illegally serving beer at her father’s tavern where he was a customer.

After Loretta had her first child, she and her father-in-law ran a country store in Pleasantville Maryland while Maurice was overseas in the Army Air Corp during WWII. After Maurice returned from overseas they had 9 more children, with a total of 5 boys and 5 girls. While her children were growing up, she was a stay-at-home mom; with that many children it was a full time job!! She sewed most of the 5 daughter’s clothes until they were able to sew their own. In 1961, Maurice and Loretta moved from Delaware to Arizona, with 9 children. The oldest daughter was already in Arizona attending college. As one can imagine that was a major troop movement!! Later when her children were older, she worked for Motorola and learned every phase of the production of integrated circuits which she thoroughly enjoyed and then worked in Market research for several years.

Her hobbies were gardening, reading, writing poetry, ceramics, genealogy, painting and as she would say "the old timers favorite pastime gambling, when she could afford it". She kept herself busy by planting and tending her vegetable gardens and beautiful flower gardens!! She was actively involved with the Midwest City Senior Center attending paint classes, and loved going to the dances the Senior Center sponsored, (she loved to dance!!!). Her paintings were displayed at the Midwest City library, where she sold a few. Loretta learned to use a computer and spent many hours researching genealogy for the Hammer and Anderson families. She could sit for hours telling family stories while looking at pictures. Loretta loved being with family, and especially loved when the grand children would come and spend the summers with her. On Friday nights several friends would get together at her house and have dinner, play dominos, at intermission have dessert, and then play more dominos.

Loretta was well traveled, having lived in or visited most of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii; also visited Carribean Islands, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, and many countries in Europe. She attended her family reunions in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arizona and even hosted one at her home in Oklahoma in 2004. As a member of the Red Hat Society she traveled to Branson Missouri twice, Fort Worth Texas by train, and many other places.

Loretta was loved by her family and friends!! She will be missed...She is missed already!!