Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Family Reunited After 1966 Fire

More than 30 years ago a house fire caused a greater loss than one could imagine.

While the house was destroyed, family members went in different directions due to financial circumtances. In all, five siblings had to be given to foster parents. Another, living with his mother and stepfather, lost contact with his five step brothers and step sister.

Last week that all changed, and a reunion of the group (with the exception of one sibling who had been adopted) was held at Beverly Health and Rehabitation in Prescott.

When the Benny Earl Anderson house in Texarkana caught fire and burned in 1966, little did they know that they would never see each other again for over 30 years.

Thanks to Jerry Anderson, who is handicapped and lives in the White County Group Home in Searcy, the family was reunited.

Jerry Anderson went to vacation Bible school in Searcy at First Baptist Church August 12. While talking to the pastor, he discovered that the minister was from Texarkana.

Anderson told the minister he was from Texarkana, but had been separated from all other family members years ago. The pastor got busy and made some phone calls. Before the week was over all family members had been located.

Five agreed to come to Prescott, where their father is a resident of Beverly (formerly Prescott Nursing Center).

They spent Sunday getting reacquainted, having fun among themselves and discussing their past lives.

The elder Anderson was born January 26, 1926. His first son, Bennie Jr., was born August 6, 1944. It was Bennie who went with his mother when his parents divorced less than two years after he was born.

Others attending the reunion were Billy Wayne Anderson, Jerry Dean Anderson, David Gwen Anderson, Dorthea Nell Anderson Graves Longan, and other family members.

Typically, the reunion was like any other -- other than the fact they had not seen each other in almost 31 years -- they all tried to talk at the same time.