Obituary of Mary Joe Putnam Anderson

Mary Joe Putnam Anderson, 97, passed away peacefully on February 8, 2018 in Melbourne, Florida. She was born in Florence, SC on August 20, 1920 to Lucy Self Putnam and Bluford Hugh Putnam and lived in Florence until she was 85. She then moved to Mount Pleasant, SC for 10 years and then to Melbourne, Florida where she lived for the past two years. Mrs Anderson was predeceased by her loving husband of 62 years, Mack Hugh Anderson in 2004 and her brother Hugh Putnam in 2008. She is survived by her brother, Bill Putnam of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and three children: Matthew (Larry) Anderson of Boca Raton, Florida, Robin Anderson Severance (Lee) of Melbourne, Florida , and Carol Anderson Hurt of Mt. Pleasant, SC. She has 8 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Most recently she was a member of First Baptist Church of Mount Pleasant and previous to that a member of First Baptist Church in Florence, SC. After a long career in banking in Florence, SC, Mrs. Anderson retired and continued to be very active in First Baptist Church in Florence and also volunteered with an adult literacy program and Meals on Wheels. Mrs. Anderson was an avid reader, reading countless books and summarizing and rating each one. Most important to Mrs. Anderson was her Christian faith. Even in her final hours she was comforted by her family reading the Bible and playing hymns for her. She loved music and was a talented pianist. A favorite pastime in her senior years was watching the many birds that gathered outside her window and chatting with her precious caregiver, Debbie Brown. A celebration of life will take place on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 11 AM at First Baptist Merritt Island in the chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Anderson’s honor to TEAM JON (℅ Leah McCombs 1071 Cascade Cir. #302, Rockledge , Fl. 32955) to help pay for medical expenses associated with her great-grandson’s brain surgery.