Iris Minnie (Quaderer) Johnson Anderson, age 83 of Lac Courte Oreilles, Whitefish Community, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at Cornell Area Care Center..

She was born December 29, 1927 at Stone Lake, the youngest daughter of Albert and Annie (Quaderer) Johnson. She grew up on Potato Road and attended Whitefish school and Kinnamon on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation. She graduated from Haskell Indian Boarding School where she met her longtime sweetheart, Jimmie Anderson (James W.) from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's Five Civilized Tribes. After WWII, they were united in marriage October 4th, 1947.

As a young girl, she enjoyed her summers with her mother, many sisters and relatives who were a very closely knit family. The Johnson girls enjoyed fishing, picking berries, sewing, singing, and most of all cooking on the wood fired stove. Life was difficult during those times but their family was cherished by one another and their legacy is heartfelt through their children and grandchildren.

Iris was the first clerical stenographer for the Occupational Safety and Hazard Office in Chicago, followed by chief secretary for United States Department of Labor and later, as administration & finance officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Chicago and retired from the BIA Minneapolis Area Office in the early 1980s. While in Chicago, Iris and her husband were supportive of the American Indian Center and also instrumental in starting the first American Indian Bible church. After retiring, she moved up to LCO with her husband James and lived on Little Round Lake. Iris served on the Enrollment Committee at LCO and the committee to update the LCO Tribal Constitution. She served a year as the interim principal of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe High School. She was Student of the Year at Wright Junior College where she majored in Psychology and Education.

Throughout her years, Iris greatly loved native cooking and camping in wigwams with her family at powwows which brought laughter, memories and stories that we will never forget. Her Indian Fry Bread Stands is where her son David learned how to cook; as he recalls, his mom's Indian Fry Bread stand where they served homemade pies, frybread & venison sandwiches and wild rice soup is his first restaurant experience that later gave him the starting point to create Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Barbeque.

Iris taught her children many wonderful things about life and how to live with purpose. They all knew she loved them and they loved her dearly. Iris played the guitar and would often sing to her family. She kept the home fires burning and always had a beautiful smile for all she met.

Iris is survived by her cherished husband James of 63 years, loving children David (Kathy) of Round Lake, Philip of Little Round Lake, Rebecca (Rick) St. Germaine, Lac Courte Oreilles; grandchildren, James (Colleen) of Edina, Minnesota, Timothy of Minneapolis, Ricky and Mark; loving great grandchildren, Cooper and Miles Anderson, nieces, nephews and many other dear family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Annie, sisters, Christine Howard, Bertha Timm, Grace Butler, Anne "Annie Girl" Sutton, and Joyce; nephews Lance Timm, Zeke Diamond, and John Albert Rhoden.

The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 20 at Pineview Funeral Service in Hayward. Rev. Gordon Thayer will officiate. Burial will be in Whitefish Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19 at the funeral home and again from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. prior to the service on Friday at the funeral home.

Casket bearers will be James Anderson, Timothy Anderson, Ricky St. Germaine and Mark St. Germaine.

The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff at Cornell Area Care Nursing Home for their kindness and comforting care.