Adrian was born in Colfax, Washington on September 24, 1937 to Iris Ireta Anderson and Knute Oscar Anderson. He was the fourth of six children and was raised on the family farm just outside Culdesac, Idaho. Adrian received his nickname Twirp as an infant by one of the hired hands, and went by Twirp his entire life. Twirp grew up in Lapwai, Idaho, where his family was a pioneer family of Lapwai County, and graduated from Lapwai High School in 1955. He attended the University of Idaho where he met his future wife, Barbara Timmons, of Ashton, Idaho.
Twirp and Barbara Anderson wed on December 28, 1962 in Ashton, Idaho. After Barbara's graduation the couple settled in Morton, Washington where Barbara taught school and Twirp worked in the woods as a logging truck driver. The first of Twirp's children, Eric Christian Anderson, was born in Morton, Washington on September 8, 1965. Around this time Twirp had an opportunity to join a band called the Hustlers and eventually moved his family to Boulder, Colorado in 1966 to pursue a career in music with Hustlers. Twirp's second child, Heidi Adele Anderson, was born in Boulder on February 4, 1968. The Hustlers played multiple gigs in Aspen, Colorado in the late 1960's and eventually Twirp moved the family to Aspen in 1969. After the Hustlers broke up, Twirp worked a multitude of jobs to support his growing family, including janitor, deputy, truck driver, ski patrolman, and cowboy. Twirp worked as a cowboy at both the W/J ranch and Snowmass stables where he helped build the Snowmass rodeo arena where he announced the rodeo for over 40 years.
In 1970, the Andersons moved to the Snowmass Stables where he worked as a cowboy. His third child, Wendy Rene Anderson, was born September 1, 1971. While at the Snowmass Stables, Twirp learned to shoe horses, a trade he would continue to practice for the next 41 years. After the Snowmass Stables, the family moved to Aspen Village where they lived until 1977, when they moved to the Ranch of the Roaring Fork in Carbondale, Colorado. While in Carbondale, Twirp and Barbara raised three children, all of whom graduated from Roaring Fork High School and eventually college. While in Carbondale, Twirp continued to shoe horses up and down the Roaring Fork Valley by day and play music at night. Between the Timber Mill, the Stagecoach, and the Red Garter Room Twirp played music every Friday and Saturday night for over 25 years. Twirp was a tireless working man and spent countless days working to provide for his family whom he cherished most. In 2013, Twirp moved to Grand Junction, Colorado to be near his only grandchild, Annika Anderson, daughter of Eric Anderson.
Twirp is preceded in death by his parents, Knute Oscar and Iris Anderson; his brothers, Knute Oscar Anderson Jr, and Gerald B. Anderson; and sisters, Jeannine Lemm and Mary Adele Anderson. He is survived by his sister, Sandra Joe Wilkinson of Fort Worth, Texas; and his three children, Eric, Heidi, and Wendy, as well as his granddaughter, Annika Anderson.
Twirp Anderson led an extraordinary life. From a wheat farm in post WWII Idaho, to living and playing music in Aspen, Colorado, Twirp played music all over the country as well as the world. He met countless people and you would be hard pressed to find someone with something bad to say about Twirp. Not only was he hard working and generous, he loved to tell a joke and all that knew him have a favorite joke or Twirpism they remember. Happy Trails Pard, you will always be remembered.
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