George Anderl, 88

Our friend, dad, husband and grandfather died suddenly and unexpectedly the evening of March 2, 2016, after returning home from a trip to Seattle. Yes, he was 88 — but still it was unexpected. He had vanquished so many health issues over the past year, and dodged so many bullets in his life. Nothing could keep him down — he recovered from pneumonia, influenza, a broken wrist. In Seattle he had a treatment that we were sure would fix his anemia and fatigue, and he came home in high spirits. He was going to be in the orchard this spring for sure.

Those of you who knew him knew that dad’s story was fascinating. He was born July 22, 1927, on a farm in Bavaria, the oldest of four children. He was conscripted into the German army late in World War II, and was almost immediately taken prisoner by the American forces and held in Denmark. In transit after the war, he jumped off the train — feeling like nothing good was going to happen at the destination — and walked home. He was just 17. He later went to school to study forestry and worked as a forest ranger in Bavaria. He loved being out in the woods, so it was a perfect fit.

He met Irma in Germany when she was on vacation there with her parents. After a long distance courtship he moved to New York, lived in Hell’s Kitchen, worked as a laborer, and went to school and apprenticed as an electrician. George and Irma married in 1955 and lived on Long Island until 1970. He transitioned to owning his own electrical business, and then to building houses — following his father-in-law in that business. His deep love of hunting and fishing never faded, and he was frustrated by the 12-hour drive to get into the mountains in Maine — so in 1970, after exploring several options, they moved to Coeur d’Alene. He said for both the business opportunities and the wilderness, but we’re pretty sure the lakes and mountains played a big part in the decision.

The economy had its ups and downs — he was developing land, building homes and paying loans when the prime rate was more than 20 percent, but he persevered always. Wisely, he said he never opened business mail on Friday, because there was nothing you could do about it until Monday and why ruin two days if it’s bad news? He built a beautiful home on Stanley Hill, and then in 1992 they built their current home on 40 acres at the end of Lookout Drive. He put in an orchard, strawberry and raspberry plants, and hundreds of flowers. He loved it there, and could walk out directly into the National Forest. He never actually quit working — he enjoyed the business and was still selling lots and planning renovations to the shopping center. But he did get to spend more time hunting and fishing and at the cabin. And he went 1-0 in hand to hand combat against a black bear, as many of you have probably heard.

George and Irma traveled frequently to Germany to stay connected with family, and also had adventures in Hawaii and Bora Bora, among other places. George’s love of travel and wilderness took him to Alaska, Africa and Australia. He loved Gonzaga basketball — hopefully they make it to the dance this year. And he loved his family, most particularly his adored grandchildren, Hayden, Tyler and Brooklynn. George is survived by his wife, Irma; his children, Lisa (Matt), Tom (Christine) and Chris; his brothers and sister; several cousins and nieces and nephews in Germany; and many treasured friends in the community.

There will be a memorial starting at 3 p.m. Monday, March 7, 2016, at the Hayden Lake Country Club. Please come and share your memories of George. Yates Funeral Home is care of the arrangements. The family prefers memorial contributions to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation at rmef.org or P.O. Box 8249, Missoula, MT 59807. You may visit George’s online memorial and sign his guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.