Mary Lou Anderson passed away April 8, 2020. She was born June 22, 1929, to John and Mary McCullough in Cleveland, Ohio.

As a child of the depression, Mary Lou discovered a love for entertaining through her grandmother who would paint faces on fruits and vegetables to create characters for storytelling. Friends and family in Cleveland, and eventually Webster Groves, Missouri, spent many Saturday afternoons enjoying backyard stage shows starring Mary Lou. Her first paid professional job was in 1947 at Famous Barr department store in St. Louis, Missouri. She was hired as a standup comedian for entertainment before fashion shows in which she would wander onto the runway and pretend to be a model having issues with her clothing. Her ambition to be a standup comedian took her to Dennison University where she studied theater alongside Hal Holbrook and Frank Cover.  After college she married William (Bill) Anderson, the skinny, trombone playing neighbor from Webster Groves, whose service in the Air Force led them to Tripoli, Libya. There she created her first television show, Gracie the Good Witch, on the base TV station and became hooked on television performance.

After moving to Kansas City in the late 1960's, she put an assortment of her handmade fruit and vegetable characters in a plastic bag and pitched to Bob Wormington, general manager of Channel 41, an idea for a children's live TV show.  Throughout the 70's and early 80's, 41 Tree House Lane with Mother Nature, was a popular TV show for kids in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area which focused on local guests and audience participation.  Mother Nature and her puppets, Hairy Arms, Squeegee the bookworm, Ribbit the frog, Smarty Pants the toilet Brush, Monica Mushroom, Prudence Sprinkle Pot, Anna Banana, Whiney Piney the pineapple, Glorious Gloria the Good Witch, and many others who were as popular as any other celebrity in town. Mary Lou or "Mother Nature" often said, "I used my childhood to become a children's performer. I play the same way I did as a kid."  She used her puppetry to reach children on their own level and found that, "If you have a puppet children don't freeze up on you.  Sometimes they react better to puppets than to people."  While her TV show lasted 14 years, schools and day cares, along with their teachers, throughout Kansas City enjoyed live shows for over thirty years.  Mary Lou taught puppetry in the Creative Arts Center of the Nelson Gallery and performed on numerous local stages presenting original puppet productions.  At age 84 she self-published a book of poetry on the subject of aging entitled Two Hairs Talking on an Old Head.  Well into her late 80's, on weekends during summer months, she performed puppet shows at the River Market.  With an audience in front of her she never slowed down.  For her last Halloween (her favorite holiday) at age 90 she dressed up as a good witch reading fortunes from an old football to residents in the memory care unit of her nursing home.  Mary Lou Anderson, as a one woman show, was indeed unique, creative, charming, and lived to entertain.

Proceeded in death by husband William B. Anderson, an infant daughter Mary, her parents and sister, June Ann Berger.  Her endless creative spirit will be greatly missed by her family including son Breck Anderson (Malia), daughter Nancy Alemifar (Masood), granddaughter's Layne Strookman (Bram) and  Maril Reynolds (Scott), grandson's Keyan Alemifar and Aidan Alemifar, and four great grandchildren, Lily, Remy, Beau, and Finn, as well as her nieces and innumerable friends and fans.

Services

A celebration of Mary Lou's life will be scheduled at a time after the current social distancing is lifted.

Memorial Contributions

Donations in Mary Lou's honor can be made to:

The Mary Lou Anderson  Children's  Creative Art Education Fund

c/o The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

1055 Broadway Suite 130

Kansas City, Missouri  64105