Obituaries

Loretta Joyce Anderson (Jordan, Pilgrim) Drebenstedt, born deaf 15 November 1939, enjoyed a long and amazing life and died with breast cancer and dementia 1 April 2020.

Though she spent 2 years at the Arkansas School for the Deaf, she graduated from public high school in Fayetteville, Arkansas back before mainstreaming was mainstream. She trained to be a keypunch operator, worked at several different jobs including for Hewlett-Packard. She was happily married three times; for 6 yrs to John A. Jordan who died suddenly of a massive heart attack, married for 22 years to Cliff Pilgrim who died with COPD, and married for 8 years to Melvin Drebenstedt who died suddenly with diabetes and a massive stroke.

She is survived by 6 younger siblings: Lee Watson (Brock), Claire Anderson (Reece Pence), Dave Anderson (Lynne), Candy Bell (JP), Cindy Nimmo (Steve), and John Anderson (Susan). She also has many nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews whom she inquired about throughout her life.

Born in Billings, Montana, she also lived in Seattle, Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock, San Jose, California, and Coweta, Oklahoma. She loved dogs, travel and gardening as well as her family. Her travels took her south to Georgia, Florida &Texas, to Washington DC, Sacramento, California and to Oregon among other trips. A faithful Christian, she is well-remembered and missed greatly. Private Burial service at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.