Longtime resident of Ferndale Monica Wells Anderson died May 25 after a long illness. She was 62 years old.

Monica was born January 9, 1962, in Frankfurt, Germany to Dave and Margot Wells. As the daughter of a career Army officer, Monica lived in four different states across the country growing up before the family settled in Ferndale in 1971. Monica attended Ferndale High School and was a member of the Class of 1980. She was an excellent tennis player, ranked number one in Humboldt County as a freshman. She met and married her husband Tim Richter and settled in Fortuna, where they welcomed their daughter, Celeste Marie, in 1983. They returned to Ferndale to live until their relationship ended in 1986. In 1987, Monica met and married Kevin Anderson, growing her family with the addition of two sons, Jesse and Michael.

She worked various jobs during her 20s, including a stint at a local lumber mill, before getting her GED from Ferndale High School and then going on to obtain her histology technician and phlebotomist certifications. Many Humboldt County residents benefited from her work over the course of her career at Mad River and Redwood Memorial Hospitals until complications from an injury forced her retirement.

Monica was actively involved in the community, serving as a Boy Scout leader, regularly volunteering at Ferndale Elementary in her children’s classrooms and at Ferndale High supporting extra-curricular activities, such as coaching the FHS Cheerleaders. She worked for many years at the Humboldt County Fair Grounds during the annual County Fair. She had a passion for music of all kinds, gardening and was a lifelong, rabid Oregon Duck fan and Green Bay “Packer Backer.”

Survivors include her daughter, Celeste Richter, sons Jesse Anderson (Larissa) and Michael Anderson, estranged husband, Kevin Anderson, her aunt Andrea Casanova; sister, Colette McClung (Mark) and niece, Whitney Stanglewicz (Patrick), nephews David and Carter McClung, cousin, Caroline Kahn (Aaron); her granddaughter Clara; and two great-nephews Sawyer and Cormac Stanglewicz. She is also survived by her dear friends, David Killingworth, Debora Paige, Liz Webber and Layla DiSteano. Monica was preceded in death by her parents, Dave and Margot Wells, brother John “Mike” Wells, cousin, Alexandra Zapp, aunt, Judy Wells, and ex-husband Tim Richter. Although Monica wasn’t a native of Ferndale, she embraced and supported this community she loved.

A celebration of life will be held August 24 at 10:30 a.m. at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds VIP Lawn in Ferndale. Friends and family are invited to attend, share music and stories of Monica’s life.

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