Catherine (Margaret) Anderson

Stettler

1915-

Description

Life and Work

Catherine Margaret, affectionately known as "Kay" was born October 5, 1915 to Ruth and Percy Peterman of Glencurrie, Alberta. Her early life took her through several years of hardships - first a broken home, at the age of five, her father had her boarded out for eight years with different families, then to live with relatives in Washington, Oregon and California for another seven years. In 1925 her father, who then resided in California, remarried and returned to Canada with his bride but left Kay in the States. Then in 1930 she joined her father and finished high school in Alberta.

Kay's ambition was to be a nurse, but extended illness in the family made it necessary for her to seek employment. She went to work in a bakery, being cashier, bookkeeper, and often the bakery helper. She wound up marrying the baker, Richard D. Webster. To this union, four daughters and one son were born.

Kay was keenly interested in history, antiques and writing. When her husband passed away, she turned to outside interests. She was a correspondent for several organizations, Secretary to the Woman's Institute for 10 years, President for five, and was proud of her 42 years of association with the Rebekahs, being a past Noble Grand.

In 1967 Kay married Joe Anderson, a WWII veteran, and respected citizen of Stettler.

In 1970 she was approached and asked to help establish a museum for Stettler. As proof of her success, she was a curator, and in recognition of her effort she was named in 1976 by the Stettler Chamber of Commerce as Woman Citizen of the Year.

For the next 20 - plus years, Curator Kay, as she became known, oversaw the collections of countless artifacts which established the basis of the Stettler Museum Village of today.