Ken was born in Emporium, Pennsylvania, to Walter and Minnie Anderson. His grandparents emigrated from Sweden and established a potato farm in Emporium. Ken’s dad eventually left the farm and began working as a machinist for Hercules Powder company. During the great depression, the Emporium Hercules plant closed, and Walter had the opportunity to transfer to the Hercules plant in Denville, New Jersey where Ken grew up. During his youth, Ken enjoyed playing hockey with his friends in the winter on frozen ponds. Ken helped his dad repair cars as a side job during the depression and that is likely where he developed a fondness for all types of vehicles. He and his buddies bought an old jalopy for $14 in his early teens and drove that old car on fire roads through the woods. When Ken was attending Roxbury High School, WWII began. He decided to sign up for the Army Air Corp in his senior year. Although they promised not to call him before his graduation, he got called up before finishing High School. He trained in New Jersey, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina and New Mexico. He graduated and was assigned to fly B-17 and B-29 bombers in the Pacific Theater. Stationed on Saipan, he completed 20 missions bombing Tokyo, Yokahoma, Kobe and Osaka. He and his crew were in the air when they heard the news that the first atomic bomb had been dropped. After he was discharged from his WWII service, he joined the Air Force Reserves until his final discharge in 1958. After the war Ken had to complete his senior year of High School before he could attend Syracuse University where he graduated with a Mechanical Engineers Degree. He took a job with the Army Corp of Engineers where he worked at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. During his tenure, he designed all sorts of equipment needed by the military including various forms of munitions. Just after college, Ken met Marilyn Mohrenweiser, the daughter of one of Ken’s dad’s auto repair clients. Ken would take her on dates to New York to listen to big band music which was one of Ken’s biggest passions. They eventually married in 1955 and honeymooned in Canada on the first of many long driving vacations. They settled in a home on Weldon Road, Jefferson Township, New Jersey near Picatinny Arsenal. The had 4 children, Sally Ann, Patricia Joan, Glenn Michael and Eric John. During their time in New Jersey, they enjoyed long summer vacations all over the country. Ken retired in 1980 and they promptly moved to Chino Valley, Arizona where they bought 45 acres of high desert land and built their dream retirement home. Marilyn was not fond of flying so they continued to travel the country by car. Ken did convince Marilyn to fly a couple times and they travelled to the South Pacific and Australia. In 2000, they decided that the Chino Valley house and the 45 acres was too much to care for and they decided to move to Las Vegas. They bought a nice home and continued to travel. While living in Las Vegas they spent time enjoying Casinos, shopping and eating out. Ken is survived by his children Sally (Bill), Glenn (Tina) and Eric (Dawn), his grandchildren Rebecca, Jillian, Will, Sam, Kelly, Samantha, Shannon, Kristina, Max, Sidney, Aaron and Emily, and his great grandchildren Paige, Sophie, Anderson, Lola, Murray, Leonard, Luca, Ada and Amelia. Patty and Marilyn preceded Ken in passing. Ken will be buried with his wife of 63 years in the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmcheyenne.com for the Anderson family.
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