Willis "Willie" Anderson was an Orange Township trustee for 38 years
Willis “Willie” Anderson died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. Willis was born May 13, 1931, in Bluffton, Ohio, to the late Harry and Minnie (Schaublin) Anderson. On March 9, 1951, he married Charlotte Walter Anderson who preceded him in death on Sept. 8, 2017.
Willis was a farmer and an Orange Township trustee for 38 years. He was a member of Emmanuel United Church of Christ, Bluffton where he held numerous offices. Willis was well known for his hobby of trap shooting. Willis was a member of the Amateur Trap Shooting Association and numerous local sportsmen’s clubs. He was inducted into the Ohio State Trap Shooting Hall of Fame and the Hancock County Sports Hall of Fame. Willis was a 1949 graduate of Mt. Cory High School.
Survivors include a son, Steven (Karen) Anderson of Sunnyside, Washington; two daughters, Kathy (Larry) Coburn of Phoenix, Arizona; Linda (Mike) Hampl of Highland Village, Texas; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and a sister, Theda Lehman of Rawson, Ohio.
Willis was preceded in death by his step-mother, Lillian Matter Anderson; son and daughter-in-law, Harvey and Dee Dee Anderson and brother, Harry David Anderson.
Services will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at Emmanuel United Church of Christ, Bluffton with Pastor Jeremy Mann officiating. Visitation will be from 12:30 – 2 p.m. at the church. Private family burial will be in Thompson Cemetery Bluffton, Ohio prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Emmanuel United Church of Christ. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted with Chiles-Laman Funeral & Cremation Services, Bluffton.
Stories Posted This Week
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026
- Production offers a modern take on the story of St. Clare of Assisi
- Bluffton volleyball edged in 5 by Van Buren
- Pirate girls soccer tie O-G
- October 16 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup, streaming
- Bluffton Council recap: Officers honored for 25 years of service
- Bluffton Clean Up teams up with Troop 3256 Cub Scouts
- Ada FFA: Feeding the Farmers
- Nov. 7 Fall Community Day at Bluffton University
- Quarry Farm Nature Preserve news for Fall 2026
Thursday, October 15, 2026
- DeWine announces $200M Rural Health Transformation program award
- Herb program with Marge Lafollette, Oct. 15
- Prairie seeding activity at Bluffton University, October 24
- Food for thought: Choline for the brain
- Results for 5K on October 2, Bluffton University Homecoming event
- 15 minutes with Sherry Miller, senior center activities coordinator
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- Ada Icon headlines, October 14
- CANCELLED Main St. closure on October 15
- Frederick Clyde Warren founded True-2-Form Plastics
- Pirate boys soccer beats Wapak in regular season finale
- Pirate girls soccer defeats Liberty Center
- Mennonite pastor to explore ‘good news’ in creation
- Bluffton University earns recognition in U.S. News & World Report rankings
- Obituary for Deborah "Debbie" Welch, 74
- Spirits and exorcism presentation during University Spiritual Life Week Forum
- Dodging bullets: Bluffton oral history 90+ years after Dillinger robbery
- Nora Matthews named BHS Student of the Month for September 2026
- ICAPP analysis on charter status and local autonomy
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
- Ada Icon headlines, October 13
- Bluffton area Women in Business meeting October 15
- Leo club glasses collection
- Night at the (Swiss Historical) Museum, October 24
- Woodcarving ornament workshop at Swiss Heritage Center
- Barefoot nature walks at the Nature Preserve
- Pirate volleyball seeded 4th
- Beavers sports roundup, October 6-11
- Bluffton leaf pickup scheduled for last week of October
- Pirate boys soccer shuts out Bellefontaine
- Watch an after school movie at the Bluffton Public Library
- Dunlap awarded OSBA humanitarian award