Tressa V. Anderson

"God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble." - Psalms 16:1 For Tressa Anderson, the words of this Psalm held true all through the 88 years of her life. No matter what fate brought her way, Tressa knew that the strength of the Lord would always be with her. The year 1918 brought many changes to the nation and the world. The final battles of World War I saw Germany finally surrendering in September. Here in the United States, people's spirits were lifted with songs like "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows". For George and Hattie (Custer) Bensinger, September 1918 in Muskegon, Michigan, was a time of beginnings. On September 15th, at the old Mercy Hospital, George and Hattie welcomed their first child, a baby girl they named Tressa. Over the next few years, Hattie found herself, not chasing rainbows, but chasing children, as Tressa was joined by sisters Dorothy, Marjorie, Eunice, and finally brother Charles. As time went on, Tressa's family soon found themselves, like many other families, struggling to get by through the days of the Depression. Life was difficult, and at one point, they lost their home in Muskegon. George took his family north trying to find work here and there and eventually they returned to Muskegon. Life became stable once again and Tressa went on to graduate from Muskegon High School in 1937. From there she continued her education at the Howell School of Business where she studied to become a stenographer. In 1939, she completed her studies and went to work at the Sheldon Corporation, all the while living at home and helping to support her family. During that same year, Tressa attended a People's Tabernacle event at the Muskegon Auditorium, sponsored by radio station WKBZ, and met a young man named Harry Anderson. Harry was immediately taken by Tressa's wonderful personality and they soon began dating. Trips to Mills Ice Cream, and Pere Marquette Park were favorite outings, as were various church activities. Harry knew he wanted to marry a good Christian woman, and that good Christian woman was Tressa Bensinger. On October 2, 1940, Tressa and Harry became husband and wife, in a quiet ceremony held in the parsonage of the Pastor's home. The newlyweds enjoyed a short honeymoon at Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, in the Upper Peninsula. Returning from their honeymoon, Tressa and Harry set up housekeeping at 1521 Madison Avenue in Muskegon. While Harry worked hard to support his young bride, working at Continental Motors and other machine shops in Muskegon, Tressa was busy setting up their new home. In 1944 they began their own family with the birth of their daughter, Sharon. With a growing family, Tressa and Harry, along with Sharon, moved to a bigger home at 690 Jackson St., Muskegon. Soon, like her own mother, Tressa was chasing children - Sharon, Russ, born in 1948, Ron, born in 1953, and the youngest child, Becky born in 1956. The young family were faithful members of the Peoples Tabernacle Church. In 1947, Tressa and Harry had saved enough money - $570.00 - to buy two acres of land in Norton Township, and built a garage. This garage served as their home for the next several years, as they worked and saved to build a house of their own. Tressa and Harry began building this house with their own two hands, side by side and block by block. It took the next ten years to complete, while, at the same time they built their family. The new house became filled with love and was their lifelong home. Tressa loved life with her husband and four wonderful children. She cherished being a mother and homemaker and rejoiced in her blessings. From her frugal childhood, Tressa had learned how to stretch every dollar. She loved antiques and was especially proud of the bargains she found at places like the Thrift Shop on Pine Street, Goodwill, and the Rescue Mission Thrift Shop. For Tressa, another person's "trash" might truly be her treasure. For the kids, treats while growing up were one candy bar and one bottle of pop a week. On Sundays, after church, the big treat was ice cream, but everyone had to save room for Tressa's delicious Sunday dinners. Pork roast, beef or a big juicy ham usually graced the dinner table. But Tressa knew that it was just as important to feed her children's souls, as it was their stomachs. She and Harry were instrumental in starting a Sunday school for kids at the Jibson one-room schoolhouse near Ravenna, Michigan. Harry was the official chauffeur, picking up and bringing home, all the children who attended. These Sunday meetings lasted for over 22 years, from 1940 to 1962. In 1962, the family started going to the Little Black Lake Church on Pontaluna Road, where Sharon played the organ during services. Tressa and Harry were leaders of a Sunday night youth group called "The Jet Cadets". The church was like a second home and family for Tressa. Harry served on the board, Tressa was the church librarian and Sharon was a Sunday school teacher. What a wonderful way for a family to serve the Lord. Tressa also knew how to have fun with her family. Tenting trips were the norm when it came to vacations, with everyone and everything loaded into the family station wagon. Distance was no problem, and Tressa and Harry introduced their children to the wonders of California, Nova Scotia, Yellowstone, Arkansas, and Florida. In fact, after the children were grown and had left home, Tressa and Harry wintered in sunny Florida. Their favorite pastime while there, was birdwatching. Their "home away from home" was a van - they never felt the need for a pop-up camper or a travel trailer. Simple was best. Through the 1970s and 1980s Tressa moved from the Little Black Lake Church to the Central Assembly of God Church and then to the Calvary Baptist Church of Muskegon in 1997. When the church was rebuilt in Fruitport, Tressa and Harry followed. In 1977 she became a grandmother for the first time, and over the years was very close to her five grandchildren and one great-grandson. It didn't take much to keep Tressa occupied. Again, the simple things were the best. She loved nothing better than to sit and watch the birds in her yard. At first, she hated the thought of wasting her time watching TV - or the "boob tube", as she called it. But later in life, she took pleasure in watching the old standards like "I Love Lucy", and "The Andy Griffith Show", along with the more current "Larry King Live" and of course, "Antiques Road show". She also enjoyed reading the encyclopedia, each day learning something new. She disliked spending her time cooking and cleaning but did what was needed to make a good home for her family. And she was noted for her many sayings, such as "Be good to your teeth", "Don't sacrifice the future on the altar of the immediate", and something she learned early in life - "Necessity is the mother of invention." In 2005, Tressa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and by October of 2006 her health really began to fail. She seemed to lose her interest in the things around her and her vigor for life, but was determined to show her affection for her family, always showing them how much she loved them. Sadly, on Sunday morning, February 18, 2007, Tressa died, confident in the love and strength of the Lord. "He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge, his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalms 91:4 Mrs. Tressa V. Anderson, age 88, died Sunday, February 18, 2007. Survivors included her husband of 66 yrs, Harry; 2 sons, Russ (Marcie) Anderson of Ludington, Ron (Nancy) Anderson of Muskegon; 2 daughters, Sharon Anderson of Muskegon, Becky (Don) Underwood of Spring Lake; 5 grandchildren, Ben, Jeff, Abby, Charles, Jennifer; 1 great grandson, Tyler; 2 sisters, Eunice Portenga of Muskegon, Marjorie Edsall of OR; brother, Charles Bensinger; several nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Dorothy. Services will take place Thursday, February 22, 2007, 1:00 PM at Calvary Church with Pastor Bill Rudd officiating. Interment at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation is Wednesday, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Please visit Tressa's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory or photo, or sign the online guest book. Memorials may be made to Calvary Church Building Fund or Central Indiana Teen Challenge.