Jo Anderson (Mrs. John D Anderson) left this world quietly on December 25, 2021, as she wished, in her own home and in the company of her devoted husband and daughters.

A lifelong Valley resident, Jo was born on August 30, 1934 to school teacher Alma Adolfson and carpenter Richard Zemp. She was the second of four children, Alma, Josephine, Richard and Margit. She spent her earliest years living in the shadow of Mount Si on a dairy farm. During the war years, the family traveled around Washington as their father worked as a carpenter, even living for a time in a converted school bus.

They spent several years living on the family farm on Novelty Hill in Duvall, before moving to Cedar Falls when their fa- ther worked for Seattle City Light.

Jo attended school in Tolt, and at Mount Si High School, where she graduated with honors in 1952. She attended the University of Washington before marrying Jim Tingelstad in 1953. They had three children, Carl, Phyllis and Jean and lat- er divorced. In 1974, Jo married John D Anderson, and they had two daughters, Melody and Melindy. John and Jo lived together in North Bend until her death.

She spent most of her working life, as she put it “slinging hash”, working any position from dishwasher to waitress, and often doing the cooking. Jo and her sister Margit were the owners of the Mar-T Café between the summer of 1971 and 1976. She retired as the head cook at Camp Waskowitz for the Highline School District, after feeding campers and counselors for many years. She especially enjoyed including the campers in her kitchen.

In retirement, Jo and her husband John D, became very active geocachers, using the handle TwoJJ. They recorded finds in all 50 states, most of the Canadian provinces and even parts of Mexico. She was very proud of finding a cache in every county in each of the lower 48 states. She enjoyed hiking and outdoor activities, even hiking to the top of Mount Si to celebrate her 70th birthday. In her later years, she was a familiar sight on her red trike around North Bend.

Jo was known for her gracious hospitality and her love of feeding people, especially children! She was a constant volunteer in many local churches until her health no longer allowed, enjoying holding babies in the nursery and providing cookies for fellowship time.

She was upfront and hardworking, full of common sense, prayers, kitchen experience and practical advice. She was a doer, a fixer, full of willingness and ready to tackle any obstacle with common sense and hard work. She taught her children to be resourceful and resilient. It was never effective to tell her she “couldn’t” do something.

Jo said her greatest achievements were her children, and as she called them, the jewels in her crown, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, John D Anderson, of the family home, sister Margit Halverson, sister-in-law Roseanne Zemp as well as nieces and nephews. Her surviving children are Phyllis & Mike Simplot, Cle Elum, WA, Melody & Ryan Possinger, Spirit Lake, ID, and Melindy & Jerry Beaudry, Easton WA. Grandchildren are Justin, Camie, Bryson, Kurin, Sarah, James, Mia, Angel, Zach, Jadon, Eli, Rebeccah, Joel, Benjamin, Isaac and Gwen, plus 16 great-grandchildren and many others who called her Grandma Jo. She was preceded by her parents, brother Richard, sister Alma, children Carl and Jean, and granddaughter Bente.

In honor of Jo, please support your local food bank or cook a meal to share with someone lonely.