Red Dirt Girls honored as grand marshals

TEN SLEEP - The Ten Sleep Independence Day Parade once again filled the streets on July 4, this year with the theme of "Red Dirt and Rodeo."

"The Anderson Ladies," sisters-in-law Doris and Gail were invited to be co-grand marshals, but Gail was unable to attend. Doris Anderson enjoyed her Fourth of July experience nonetheless, saying "It was a lot of fun; I saw a lot of people that I wouldn't have been able to see had I been sitting at the sidelines watching the parade."

Anderson has been a member of the Ten Sleep community since June 1964 and a Wyomingite her whole life. "I like the friendliness," she said. "Any time you are in need of anything, you have community support."

As a secretary and bookkeeper for the school district, Anderson made an impact on the people around her. "I really enjoyed doing that, I worked with several superintendents and made a lot of friends with teachers, some of whom I am still in contact with, which I think is really neat," Anderson said.

Now retired, Anderson serves the community as treasurer of Ten Sleep Friends of the Library, financial secretary at Circle J Ranch, and a member of United Methodist Women. Anderson teaches Sunday school and helps with Adventure Club at the Ten Sleep United Methodist Church.

The first time Anderson became involved with the Ten Sleep Fourth of July celebration was around 1970. "I was on a float with people from the Methodist Church and we were holding our children. One of my children was a baby at that time," she said. "My children, when they were growing up, would decorate their bicycles to ride in the Fourth of July Parade. Of course, we had to watch that," Anderson said.

Since then she has added a few more parade appearances to her resume, including a stint as grand marshal for the homecoming parade back when she was school secretary and rides on the senior citizens float for the Fourth of July.

Over the years, Anderson has seen additions to the Independence Day Parade and seen it revised. "We had a minister that loved horses and he dressed up as a circuit rider minister and rode his horse in the parade, I thought that was something special," she remembered.

"Some years it seems like we have a bigger parade than other years. Somebody laughed and said 'Well, whenever it's an election year the parade is a lot longer!'" Anderson giggled.

Of her appointment as grand marshal, Anderson said, "I was honored; it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed just being involved."

Gail Anderson was unable to attend the parade but said she was honored to be recognized by the community where she raised her children and where she has spent most of her life.

Other notable attendees of the parade this year include the winning entries: Best to Theme went to Washakie Cowbelles, Most Patriotic to the Ten Sleep Girl Scouts Troop, Best Kids Group to Kurt's Karate, Best Girls Entry to Abigale and Makenzie Anker, Best Car to Schab's 1926 Oldsmobile, Best Horse to Sheridan Shriners, Best Church Entry to Ten Sleep United Methodist, Judge's Choice to Murphy's 1947 Ford Pickup and People's Choice to the Town of Ten Sleep.