James Granger Anderson Jr. was born December 16, 1922 in San Antonio. He was the son of James Granger Sr. and Forrest Alean Richardson Anderson. Granger's grandfather Asher Richardson was an early Dimmit County rancher and businessman who founded the town of Asherton.
Granger lived in Asherton as a child and remembers going to Harry Spade's shoe repair shop on Carter Street in downtown Asherton in the mid 1920's. He and his father, Granger Anderson Sr., would go there together. HIs father would read and discuss Mr. Spades' Greek newspaper with him.
Granger Jr. graduated from Asherton High School in May of 1940. He demonstrated his athletic prowess there, participating in six man football, basketball, softball, track, and tennis. He attended The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina from September, 1940 until June of 1942. At that time he enlisted as a cadet in the ARmy Air Corps.
Granger graduated in class 43-E s a second lieutenant fighter pilot candidate. After further training and several duty stations in the United States, he flew the new C-46s. He flew them to Puerto Rico, Natal (Brazil), and across the Atlantic to Ascension Island, to Freetown, Daker, Mericesch, and on to Casa Blanca for permanent duty station. Captain Anderson served in the North African Theatre until December, 1945. He was honorable discharged at Randolph Field, San Antonio, February of 1946.
JImmie Lee Barker's parents were James Roy and Margaret Elizabeth HIpp Barker of Crystal City. She was born in Rains County, Texas on September 20, 1922 and moved to Zavala Country with her parents and brother, Malcolm Dale Barker, in October of 1924. Jimmie Lee received her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas. She was the business teacher at Crystal City High School in 1946 when on of her students said, "Teach, I want to introduce you to the cutest man you'll ever see." It was Granger.
Grander Anderson Jr. and JImmie Lee Barker were married at the home of her parents on September 20, 1947. Their first home was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, while Granger attended the University of Tulsa. After a summer session at the University of Texas at Austin, and one at Trinity in San Antonio, the young couple moved to the JRS Ranch northeast of Crystal City to manage a farming and ranching operation for Roy Barker.
In May of 1953 the Anderson family, which now included daughters Margaret Forrest, Candace Elizabeth, and Patricia Isabelle, moved to the Big House, as the old Richardson home in Asherton is usually called. Granger and his maternal first cousin Dr. Asher McComb of San Antonio formed a partnership to farm EAgle's Nest Farm, which they co-owned. This farming operation lasted about four years. During that time, Granger III was born. Granger Jr. continued working in agriculture and wa an agent for New York Life Insurance Company for 10 years.
Before Margaret entered second grade, the yount family moved back to Crystal City. Malcolm Forrest was born while the family lived there. The Andersons decided it would be a great adventure to grow up in the old family home, and moved back to Asherton in the summer of of 1965.
Jimmie Lee was teaching business subjects in the Crystal City High School, so the Andersons kept a school home in Crystal City and spent their weekends and summer vacations at Bel-Asher. Margaret , Candy, and Patricia graduated from Crystal City HIgh School.
Granger III and Forest entered the CArrizo Springs schools in the fall of 1971. The Andersons rented a school home near Carrizo Springs and Jimmie Lee taught in the Asherton school district. There she has worked for seven years in special education. She has also taught night courses in typing, shorthand, and accounting for Southwest Texas Junior College.
Margaret Forrest Anderson was born June 11, 1949 at the Nix Hospital in San Antonio. She graduated from the Crystal City HIgh School, and received her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Margaret married Robby Dean at the Anderson home in Asherton on August 22, 1970. Robby, who was born November 18, 1947, is the son of Harold J. and Marjorie Botkin Dean.
Candace Elizabeth "Candy" Anderson was born at the Nix on October 14, 1950. She graduated from Crystal City HIgh School. She has her bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Texas. She taught in the Carrizo Springs North Elementary Annex for four years, and completed her master's degree in education from Sul Ross University.
Patricia Isabelle Anderson was born at the Nix Hospital in San Antonio on February 4, 1953. She graduated from Crystal City High School and has her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas. She served as the first director of the Happy Days Day Care Center, located in the First United Methodist Church in Carrizo Springs.
James Granger Anderson III was born at the Nix in San Antonio on October 29, 1954. He graduated from Carrizo Springs High School in 1973. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a major in agriculture education in May of 1981.
The Anderson children, now grown, enjoy returning for visits to Dimmit County, which their great-grandparents Asher and Isabelle Votaw Richardson, and great-great-grandparents William and Mary Jane Slaughter Votaw helped develop more than 100 year ago.
Jimmie Lee Barker Anderson
Asherton
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