Anita May Wilderson

Anita May Wilderson, (Nee Reiber), was born March 1, 1941 in Townsend, Montana. Her parents were Reinhart A. and Madge Marie Bruce Reiber. Anita was married to James Wilderson in 1961, who predeceased her in 2008. They have two children, a son, Timothy Wilderson, who predeceased her in 2011, and surviving daughter, Charlene Wilderson Argust. She has four grandsons, Anthony, Adam and Joesiah, Raymond Henry and one granddaughter, Andrea. 2 great grandkids Layla and Timmy She is survived by her sisters, Bonnie Houghton and Myra Hinman.

Anita has two surviving Aunts, Norma Hough of Great Falls, Montana, and Virginia Glendinning of Westminster. There are five cousins in Montana, one in Wyoming, one in Ft. Collins and one in Arvada. She has numerous nieces and nephews.

Her father worked as a gold miner in Confederate Gulch near Townsend. World War II stopped all gold mining and the family moved to Oklahoma where he was a coal miner for the war effort. After the war, at age 9, the family moved to Westminster, Colorado. Anita was raised on Bradburn Blvd. and graduated from Westminster High School. Anita was a Job’s Daughter with Bethel 18 in Westminster Colorado.

The family attended the new Lutheran Church beginning in 1952 as the church was being formed. The services were originally held in the Grange Hall (a few blocks from their home) before being named Advent Lutheran Church in 1954. A new church was built on a barren hillside just west of 80th and Lowell Blvd. Nothing was there but horned toads and an irrigation ditch at the bottom of the hill; oh, you could catch crawdads in the ditch. Before the building construction began, Easter Sunrise Service was held on the hillside; a cross was built out of two lodge pole pines. It was an inspiring service, but Anita and her sisters wondered why they would put a church way up on that hill away from town.

Anita and Jim married and lived in Denver, Thornton, and finally returned to Westminster where their children were raised. Anita retired from Cooley Gravel Company in the early 90’s. Many of you have probably heard Anita speak of the Baker family! Linda and Anita had a very special relationship. You could maybe say they were sisters from another mother. Linda and the Baker Family went to great lengths to make sure she was always taking care of. Christmas Eve dinners, Thanksgiving and Baker family events. They always made her feel like she was family. Anita and Linda also had one special thing they like to do once a month with Linda’s church. Take the bus ride up the mountain and play the slot machines. It wasn’t so much about winning money but just enjoying each other’s company. They had a one of kind special relationship that we all wish we had.

Visitation will be from 5-7pm on March 30, 2016 at Olinger Crown Hill. Services will be at 11:00am on Friday April 1, 2016 at Advent Lutheran Church, Westminster. She will be placed with her husband at Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery.