“Saginaw city officials are inviting the public to the Thursday dedication of the Andersen Memorial Floral and Sculpture Garden.
The garden is adjacent to the Andersen Enrichment Center, 120 Ezra Rust [Drive].”
“the center was named for philanthropist Frank Andersen, and the garden for his late wife, Lucille E. Andersen, an avid gardener.”
--The Saginaw News, September 22, 1993.
Sometimes it is easy to take the names of familiar landmarks for granted and forget the stories of the people whose names they carry. An article published at the time of Lucille Andersen’s passing helps connect her life story to the garden carrying her name:
“Lucille E. Andersen who started her career as a nursing instructor but took a turn into the sand-and-gravel business formed by her husband, Frank N. Andersen, died today at the Lutheran Home in Frankenmuth.
Lucille Andersen was 89, and resided at the home, 725 W. Genesee, since 1991, her husband said.
Lucille E. Lee, was born in Milford March 11, 1901. She graduated from Flint’s Hurley Hospital School of Nursing, then received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Columbia University in New York City.
She returned to Michigan, working as a nursing teacher at Harper Hospital in Detroit before she became assistant superintendent of nurses at Saginaw General Hospital, 1447 N. Harrison.
It was there that she and Frank Andersen met. The two married Feb. 10, 1949.
In a 1988 interview with the News, Frank Andersen referred to his wife as his ‘sweetheart.’
Lucille Andersen suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease and needed the care provided by the Lutheran Home, he said, but he rarely missed a chance to see her.
‘I go see her most every day,’ he said, ‘Sometimes, I think she recognizes me.’
After the couple married Frank Andersen made his wife a vice president of his company, Andersen Sand & Gravel Co., 501 Lapeer.
Lucille Andersen also involved herself in a variety of civic and charitable organizations, including the Zonta Club of Saginaw, the Saginaw Branch of the Woman’s National Farm and Garden Association, the Saginaw YWCA and the assistance League.” (The Saginaw News, December 18, 1990.)
To learn more about the Andersen Center and Garden, visit artsaginaw.org
Lucille Andersen played an important role in the construction of the Saginaw YWCA building designed by Alden B. Dow. This link will take you a post about the building.
The Recipe: Lucille Andersen’s Cherry Pudding
Sift
1 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. [baking] soda
Cream :
1 c. brown sugar
½ c. butter
1 c. quick oats
[For Filling]
[1 can cherry pie filling]
Mix all together. Put 1/2 of mixture in 8 x 8 inch pan. Bring mixture up on sides of pan. Add 1 can cherry pie filling. Add remaining mixture on top. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees Serve in squares with ice cream.
CTK NOTES:
We followed the directions closely, and overall, we were quite pleased with the results.
Although we started with cold butter, it would probably be easier to cream the butter with the sugar and oatmeal if the butter was at room temperature. However, this has not been tested.
We lightly greased the pan.
The texture of the “crust” mixture is quite loose and a little surprising. It will work fine; however, be cautious when bringing the mixture up the sides of the pan – especially in the corners. If they are too thick, the cooked crust can be almost concrete-like. (If you make the corners too thick, you can always cover your mistake by reminding guests that the Andersens’ colonial revival home on the Dixie Highway was constructed of reinforced concrete.)
We were not completely satisfied with the canned pie filling (and we are aware we accidentally used “lite” cherry pie filling.) In short, the crust was sublime; the filling was disappointing and bland. We may experiment with another brand – or perhaps adding some nutmeg and orange zest. In fact, we may use this as another opportunity to visit the Andersens and marvel at their concrete home.