Ethel was born on March 24, 1923 in Scott, Saskatchewan, the third of seven children to Arthur and Anna Anderson, of Swedish and German ancestry. The first thing people noticed was her incredible, natural beauty and vivid blue eyes and secondly, her sweet, modest nature.
Growing up poor she helped her mother with the younger siblings, learning by age seven how to use a rifle to hunt for dinner, gathering eggs and cleaning the chicken coop, milking the cow, separating cream and churning butter. She could ride a horse, loved to climb trees and had a very adventurous spirit. As a young teen she sang, played guitar, mandolin, ukulele and performed both solo or with her dad at barn dances. She was also a naturally gifted artist. She and her siblings picked berries for ten cents a pail and walked four miles each way to a one room schoolhouse. Once they moved to Northern Saskatchewan to homestead she didn’t go to school for four years. Wanting to complete her schooling, she worked as a waitress for her room and board while she went to high school and then went on to complete business college. After graduating, she worked as both a bank teller and secretary and moved on to work as head secretary at 20th Century Fox. It was while there that a Hollywood scout came to the office and, stunned by her beauty, immediately asked that she be in the movies. She declined as she was engaged to be married. The scout was persistent, took photographs of her and asked that she again reconsider. She also received a personal letter from Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century Fox Studios pleading with her to come to Hollywood. Even in her 70’s she was asked to be a model with an agency in Montreal, yet again she declined. However, in her 80’s she did some extra work in film and TV.
She could do most anything, applying herself to learn canning, upholstering, gardening, embroidering, cooking, baking, darning, painting and all the skills needed to run a successful household. She was active in the CWL (Catholic Women’s League), selling Avon products, worked in a chocolate shop and in a seniors’ agency (Seniors for Seniors).
She loved poetry, nature and especially friends, of which she had many and was deeply loved by all who knew her. She worked hard all her life, yet always had time to help others right up until her illness. She had a profound yet simple faith and was often found on her knees in prayer by her bedside.
This beautiful spirit, whose essence and smile lit up the room, will be greatly missed.
Catholic Mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 96 Huron Street, Stratford, on Friday, October, 30, 2020 at 11 a.m. Interment to follow in Avondale Cemetery.
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Tuesday October 20th 2020
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Ethel Christina Carrier Anderson Tuesday October 20th 2020..
Rutherford Cremation and Funeral Services
Décès pour la Ville:STRATFORD, Province: Ontario