Hal Anderson was born in Wenatchee, Washington in June of 1930 to Walter and Hannah Anderson. He attended several grade schools around Washington State before graduating from Cle Elum High School in Cle Elum, WA in 1948. While in high school and college he was in the Naval Reserves for seven years. After high school he attended Central Washington College of Education (now Central Washington University) graduating in 1952 with a degree in Physics. He began work for General Electric in Hanford, WA as a technician in the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project at the Atomic Energy facility there. He was sent to Cincinnati, Ohio on a special assignment. While there he met his future wife, Nancy Ford of Knoxville, Tennessee. They were married on November 15, 1954. That same year Hal was drafted into the Army and honorably discharged from the Naval Reserves. He was sent to Fort Tilden, New York to help protect the New York Harbor during the Korean War. He attained the rank of Tech. Sgt. and was honorably discharged in 1956. From New York he returned to work with General Electric in Idaho Falls, Idaho at the Atomic Energy Sight in the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project. He worked there as an instrumentation engineer until the project was eliminated, at which time he took a job in Missoula, Montana with the U.S. Forest Service as a research engineer in the Fuels Science Project. He retired from there in 1990. Hal and Nancy then moved to Roseburg, Oregon to enjoy their retirement close to the coast and the Cascade Mountains.

Hal and Nancy have four children, Carol Hughes, Helena, MT; Benton Anderson (Cathy), Huson, MT; Leslie Stancliff (Sam), Petersburg, AK; and Patricia (Patti) Anderson, Clinton, MT. There are six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Hal was very active with the Rocky Mountain Bible Mission and the Frenchtown Community Church in Western Montana. In Roseburg he was an active member of the Melrose Community Church serving as chairman of the Missions Committee and leading small group Bible studies. He loved to rock hound, fly fish, and as a young man he skied. He and his dad built the log house that Hal and his family lived in for over 30 years.

Hal went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, February 2, 2012 after a short battle with acute leukemia. A memorial service for him will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 11 a.m., at the Melrose Community Church in Roseburg, OR. A potluck dinner will be served after the service. In lieu of flowers please contribute to the Rocky Mountain Bible Mission in Missoula, MT or to the Melrose Community Church's new sanctuary fund in Roseburg.