Lake founder, legislator dies
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Quentin V. Anderson, 87, a leading Ringgold County businessman and former state representative and state senator, died December 27.
Anderson served in the Iowa Legislature from 1963 to 1967 and in the State Senate from 1969 to 1973 and then again in the legislature for two more years from 1973-1975.
Anderson is probably best know for the development of Sun Valley Lake in Ellston.
The spring-fed valley east of Ellston had a sandy bottom with a grassland watershed that would be a good setting for a clean body of water. Land was purchased from ten neighbors making a total of 1,300 acres including the Anderson Family Farm.
The first clearing and dirt work on the lake began in 1969 and the dam was closed in 1972. The 500 acre lake filled quicker than expected and it was full within a year.
Anderson worked tirelessly researching, designing, and building the lake; the first to implement silt ponds to keep the lake water clean, a practice that is commonly used today. He also designed and built roads, the dam, golf course, marina, clubhouse, restaurant and several houses on the lake.
In the early development stages, Anderson turned down offers to purchase the project to keep it local and benefit the community.
Forty-five years later, there are over 600 homes around the lake that provide Ringgold County with property tax and sales tax dollars as well as creating jobs in the area. Anderson’s vision has made a tremendous impact on the local and county economy by improving the quality of life, increasing beauty, and providing recreation.
Anderson engaged in various business enterprises which included a building construction business and operating his 480 acre farm near Beaconsfield. He served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
A visitation will be held at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr on Sunday, January 5, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 6, 2020 at the United Methodist Church in Ellston, A complete obituary can be found of page 10 of today’s Record News.
