A visit with my dear friend, Ed Anderson, Friday, October 7, 2011
Back to Elberton, Georgia.   From the time we were in kindergarten through the 10th grade, Ed Anderson and I were close friends.   He didn’t live on Carey Street, but he lived on Elm Street, around the corner.  When we were 6 years old and in the first grade, we were chosen to have our photo made by the master photographer in Elberton, Everette Saggus.  The photo was on the front page of the local newspaper, the Elberton Star, on February 14, 1955.  I’m not sure why we were selected from Mrs. Vandiver’s first grade class in Stevens School to have this photo made.   I wore the dress Mother made for my kindergarten graduation (it was a big deal back then).  Ed wore a tuxedo which his aunt made for him.   The gist of the photo was that of celebrating Valentine’s Day.  Neither of us remember much about that day—but we both know it happened because we have the evidence in photos.
When we were about 15 years old, Ed’s Dad, Boadie Anderson, moved the family to Oklahoma to start a granite business.  He was an experienced granite man since Elberton is known as the “granite capital of the world”.   I was totally mystified by this—how can you move a 15 year old to another place so far away????  We were just learning to drive and have some independence, for heavens’ sake!!  I remember being totally horrified that Ed would move so far away—permanently—but I also remember he was very stoic about it, and was determined to make the best of it.  It so happens that Ed has loved his life in Ada since the very beginning, plus he met his future wife, Judy Noble, while he was in Oklahoma.  During the next several years, Ed and his family came back to Elberton from time to time to visit.  His aunt and grandmother still lived there.  We saw each other during our college days as well.   Then we graduated from college, each of us got married, and started raising our families.  Ed’s Elberton relatives passed away, we moved away, and we didn’t see each other for a long time.  OK, let’s face it, it’s been 40 years.   But when I think of my childhood, Ed Anderson is still an indelible part of it.
When I started planning this trip, I realized we would be in the vicinity of Ada, so I called Ed and we had a great visit over the phone.  We made plans to stop by for a visit.  Ed became business partners with his dad after college, and subsequently took over his Dad’s granite business when his dad passed away and has done a great job with it. Ed and his wife Judy work harder than anyone we know. I mean they work 10 to 12 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week as needed. Ed asked me “what do you DO since you don’t work”.  I say “uh uh uh, well, we do whatever we want with no schedule and no rules”.  Ed says “uh uh uh, I don’t know if I can do that”.   They have built a big business and Judy works beside Ed all the way. They have two sons, Boadie and John who are also partners in the business.  They each have 3 children, so Ed and Judy now have 6 grandchildren!!!
We arrived at Ed’s granite finishing plant around mid-afternoon.   Ed and Judy greeted us and showed us around the plant and explained their business.   They cut and finish granite monuments and stones from all over the world. Ed and Judy are also very community minded.  We saw many examples all over town where the Andersons donated the finished granite for a veterans’ memorial as well as many other things.  They are very well known in the community. They give to their community in various ways because, as Ed says, they have been blessed ten-fold in their lives. They are very active in their Methodist Church as well.
It was so good to see them.  After we toured his plant, Ed led us over to their home.  They have an absolutely beautiful home on the golf course in Ada.  Ed and Judy designed this home for warmth and fellowship.  It is elegant, but it is also “grandchildren proof”.  Their outside patio is full of granite tables, wooden stools, several table and chair sets, etc.  They have a full outdoor kitchen as well. I think Ed said they can seat 60 people.  They have a lot of social occasions at their home—last weekend they had their Sunday School Class over for a cookout.  For dinner we walked over to the golf clubhouse and had drinks and dinner with three couples who are their good friends.   We enjoyed their fellowship and Ed and I told hilarious stories from our childhood days. It’s funny how each of us remember things, sometimes totally differently!  LOL
It was a fun evening and we walked across the golf course home for the evening.
Tomorrow we will go over to Oklahoma City to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which is the memorial to the victims of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City.
Stay tuned.  Bonnie