Andrew Dickson Waller
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Andrew Dickson Waller, of Crossville, passed away January 26, 2012.
Born November 6, 1928 in Du Quoin, Ill., he was one of seven children born to William Henry Waller and Alice (Watson) Waller.
As a teen-ager and young man he worked in many trades, for a toy factory, a cannery and for the Illinois Central Railroad. He served in the U.S. Army after high school during the Korean War era as a troop transport driver, delivering troops up winding,harrowing logging roads to fight wild fires in the northern California mountains. He then drove his Indian motorcycle to Alaska where he spent the remainder of his service.
After the Army, he went to work for the Fisher Body division of General Motors in St. Louis, Mo., where he would remain employed for 30 years. He and his family made their home several miles away in St. Clair County, Ill. His hobbies were watch repair and anything involving the outdoors. He was an avid traveler of the United States, including one of his favorite trips in 1962 to traverse and explore the entire Route 66 from Illinois to California. He loved the mountains almost as much as being on the water and yearly camping and hiking trips in the Smoky Mountains were his favorite. He loved to camp, fish, hunt and was an excellent water skier and strong swimmer for many years.
Upon retirement in 1979 he and his family moved to Crossville, buying a small farm in Creston. Always active at many things besides building and running his tractor, he also worked for the Crossville Chronicle, as a manager for Publix gas and for TVA.
He loved old time country, mountain and gospel music (and good biscuits!). Coming from a musical family including children and grandchildren, he was often asked what HE played, to which he would quip "I play the radio!" However, he had a musical ear which allowed him to walk up to a piano and play on key and he played the harmonica most of his life. He was known all around for his sense of humor and he "never met a stranger," including all those he met while shopping and on his walks in later years at the local parks and at the VF Mall. He loved life, his family and being "Pa" to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lora Ellen (Asa) Waller; daughter Anna Marie Strong and husband Donald of Crossville; son, Christopher Andrew Waller and wife Lynn (Walker) of Lakeland, Fla; grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Jennifer L. Strong and husband Michael D. Horn and their children Sophia Florence, Ezra Franklin and Adela Beatrice of San Francisco, Calif; Megan M. Strong of Denver, Colo., Sarah M. Strong and son, Donald Andrew Joseph of Crossville, Erica L. Waller and husband Robert Gibson and their daughter Lily Ann of Lakeland, Fla.; sisters, Wilma Johnson of Austin, Tex. and Sharon Louis of Tamaroa, Ill.; brother, William Waller and wife Shirly of Dewey, Ariz; mother-in-law, Flora Asa of Crossville (formerly of Du Quoin, Ill.), as well as many nieces and nephews who loved their Uncle Andy as he did them.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Raleigh Waller of Peoria, Ill.; sisters, Karen Waller and Roberta Swisher; step-father, Frank Marek and father-in-law, James Asa, all of Du Quoin, Ill.