Cecil E. Anderson

Cecil E. Anderson, 97, from El Campo and previously Indianola Beach, Texas passed away March 15, 2026. He was born June 30, 1928, at St. Joseph Hospital, Houston, Texas, to the late Oscar and Emma (Linquist) Anderson. He graduated El Campo High School and shortly after was drafted into the U. S. Army where he served in Korea as a Jeep Driver. Cecil married Jean Marek of Pierce, Texas on June 3, 1956, and started a family raising three daughters. After his service he returned to his hometown of El Campo where he started El Campo's first drive-in grocery stores along with his wife Jean Anderson. Together they operated Cecil's Drive-In #1 and Cecil's Drive-In #2. The Drive-In stores were later sold to the Ritz family. In the early 1960s Cecil joined Rice-Belt Warehouse as an assistant manager and had a long career in the rice industry until the mid-1980s when he retired and moved to Indianola Beach. As a second career, Cecil started Hook, Line and Cecil Fishing Guide Service and met many new beach friends doing what he loved. He was an avid hunter and fisherman his entire life. Several years later he completely retired at the beach where he became known as the Reverend, the Mayor and the Beach Maintenance Foreman… he was a man who wore many hats and was blessed to have so many friends from Magnolia Beach, Indianola Beach and El Campo. In his late 90s he and his wife moved back to his hometown of El Campo to be closer to family.

Cecil was a member of the First Lutheran Church in El Campo, he was involved in El Campo Rotary years ago, Elks Lodge BPOE 1749 where he was known as Seaweed and was active in the kitchen cooking up some awesome meals, a long-time current member of the El Campo American Legion Post 251 and member of the El Campo Horseman Riding Club where his duties included cooking and pulling the beer wagon along the trail rides so his girls could ride horses! Cecil also taught his girls to hunt, fish and most importantly to back a boat. He also passed his maintenance skills onto his girls. He treasured his girls and was determined to teach them independence, strength and prepare them for their adult lives.

Cecil was preceded in death by Jean (Marek) Anderson, his wife of 66 years; daughter Cindy Lyn (Anderson) Howell; parents Oscar and Emma Anderson, brothers Keith (Giesel) Anderson; and Karl Anderson.

He is survived by his daughters Debbie Moss (David) of Pearland; Donna Mikeska (Gerry) of El Campo; Rosilda Eglar (foreign exchange student) of Brazil; grandsons Grant Moss of Houston; Clay Moss of Austin; granddaughters Krista Mulkey (Justin) of Virginia; Kara Howell of Port Lavaca; great-grandchildren Rileigh and Landon Woynaroski and Waylon Mulkey of Virginia.

Visitation will be held Thursday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m. followed by a Memorial Service at 2:00 p.m. at Triska Funeral Home of El Campo, Tx with Son-In-Law David Moss of His Print Ministries officiating. A private family burial will be held later.

The family would like to especially thank the caregivers and friends at Paradigm at the Prairies, Houston Hospice team members and El Campo Memorial Hospital.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Cecil Anderson can be made to the Magnolia Beach Volunteer Fire Department. Magnolia Beach VFD is a 501c3 non-profit, address is P. O. Box 318, Port Lavaca, Texas 77979. Donations can also be made online at https://www.magnoliabeachvolunteerfiredepartment.com/