Ruth Anderson of West County began drinking from “The
Cup of Life” at the age of four.
Sixty-three years later, Anderson’s thirst for the most meaningful and
rewarding lifestyle still has not been fully quenched.
“I don’t let one minute go by without living life to
its fullest,” Anderson said. “Every
minute is like a precious, golden apple.
God puts surprises out for us every day, but we just don’t look for
them.”
At the time, the then Ruth Riekenberg, wasn’t too
thrilled with the first really big surprise God presented to her. At the age of four, Anderson’s parents
deserted her and her two deaf brothers at Barnes Hospital.
Anderson was turned over to the authorities and she
waited in limbo to become adopted.
“I’ll never forget how I felt while I was sitting and
waiting there,” Anderson said. “I
thought I’d die. I was so lonely. Then I felt the presence of God. He spoke to my heart and said, ‘You will be
fine.’ “
What an understatement that has become!
Anderson is nothing short of a dynamo; a whirlwind of
positive activity. She not only instills
a positive mindset to her own relatives and friends, but also reaches out to
help others feeling downtrodden.
For starters, Ruth and her husband William Henry
Anderson, a former mayor of Vinita Park, are pastors. They hold regular Bible studies in their home
as well as holding a prison ministry three or four times a week since 1973.
“We’ve been married for 46 years,” Ruth Anderson
said. “Each day gets sweeter. He’s my gift from God.”
Actually, nearly every person whose life she has
touched can probably say the same thing about Ruth Anderson. She has put her art training from Washington
University and Harris-Stowe Teachers College degree to good use by teaching a
variety of subjects from her Heritage Farm home, including a preschool Heritage
Farm fellowship.
“We teach whatever mothers feel they can’t teach,”
Anderson said. “There’s no peer pressure
for our home children. As a result,
they’re all self-confident.”
Anderson jokes about her farm home being located in
two counties. The Andersons eat and
sleep in Franklin County while their activity room lies in St. Louis
County. That recreational room is from
an original log home dating back to 1830.
And what activities and plans take place in that
room! For the past 20 years, Anderson
has gone into the inner city to teach art and music. She spends considerable time on both
interests in her home.
Anderson plays all percussion instruments and has
composed more than 100 songs, some of which are played on the radio. One of her favorites is an anti-abortion tune
entitled, “I Want to Live.” Her new song
is “Heart Strings.”
“In this house, we never use words like ‘bored,’ ‘old’
or 'depressed',” Anderson said. “If
someone says he’s bored, I just tell him to find someone to do something
for. We have to get our minds off
ourselves all the time.”
One thing is for sure.
Anderson is never bored. She also
teaches riding for preschoolers, is an organic farmer, a massage therapist and
an inventor.
Anderson’s inventions include a perfume named “Rose of
Sharon,” as in the Old Testament’s Song of Solomon, a poison ivy formula named
“Golden Glow,” an arthritis formula named “Lotion of Lebanon” and a
hair-growing tonic.
There’s still more.
Anderson took up fencing about two years ago and last year won two gold
medals, a silver and a bronze in that sport at the National Senior
Olympics. She also earned the award of
“Miss Congeniality” at the 1993 Senior Missouri pageant.
“I love people and each day,” Anderson said. “I value each moment and rejoice with life. When someone gets down or feels
old, he should just think of the passage from the Book of Psalms: ‘My youth is renewed like the eagle, and I
will mount up like the wings of an eagle.’ “
Anderson to Defend Gold Medals in National Competition
Considering her peaceful, “beating swords into
plowshares” attitude and demeanor, one of Ruth Anderson’s most recent successes
may come as quite a shock to a lot of people.
Touche! 
For two years, Anderson has lifted her own sword and
has enjoyed every second of it.
“It’s something I always wanted to do when I was a
little girl,” Anderson said. “Then, I
got it out of my mind for a long time, and got involved in music and a lot of
other stuff. Well, about two years ago,
I asked my husband if I could get fencing lessons for my birthday.”
Anderson signed up with the Parkway Fencing Club after
enrolling in its continuing education program, also run by Coach Chuck
Willis. Eight months later, Anderson won
a pair of gold medals at the National Senior Olympics.
Naturally, no one could have predicted such a rapid
rise for someone who focuses her attention on so many interests and
professions. But Anderson was confident
she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to…or anything she set her heart
to.
“It was a desire of my heart,” Anderson said. “I’m a person who loves the Lord. I prayed and prayed and God had me go forth
to the challenge. I just took all the
zest and zeal that God gave me.”
The event was held in Fort Myers, Fla., and Anderson
walked away with gold medals in both epee and foil for participants
60-years-old and over. She also won
silver and bronze medals in age 40-and-over competition.
Despite her already full lifestyle, Anderson and her
grandson, Nathaniel Smith, give fencing demonstrations to high school students
and Boy Scout groups. She also enters as
many tournaments as she can against opponents age 12 and older.
“It helps me with my agility and in keeping it,”
Anderson said. “It also stimulates my
mind. You have to develop strategies and
think quickly so when something comes at you, you’re able to defend yourself.”
Despite leg injuries and slow progress, Anderson said
she is determined to defend her gold medals at this year’s National Senior
Olympics, beginning Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Meanwhile, Anderson is enjoying her fencing life
through another of her many interests.
Her new song, “Heart Strings,” is currently being developed into a
video.
“This story is about a great pianist named Blair
Dyerman who played on the radio for years,” Anderson began. “One time he asked me, ‘What instrument did
Jesus play?’ The answer was heart
strings.
“Anyway, that’s how I chose the title of the song, and
I use fencing in it. I’m in my fencing
outfit and Nathan has a heart on him and strings coming out. I take the foil and pluck on his heartstrings
with it. My granddaughter is also in it,
dancing in the fields by our house wearing a pretty chiffon dress. I can’t wait until it’s ready for production!”
That will certainly be just one of many productions in
a most productive life.
***This article and sidebar first appeared in the June
1, 1994 editions of various West County Journal newspapers. Within a year, my son David and I, who I home schooled
from September 1994 to June 30, 2000, enjoyed our visit to Heritage Farm. A few years later, Ruth and Nathan were the
featured speakers/performers at St. Louis Area Mensa’s monthly meeting at the Washington
University extension on Forsyth. My
girlfriend, Stalina, was with me at the time, and we posed for pictures with
the fencing stars.
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