A servant in ministry for more than 50 years, Frederick Hurst Anderton passed away Oct. 25. He was 82.
Born in Sheffield, Anderton and his wife, Mollie Ellen, married in 1950. The next year Anderton graduated from Howard College in Birmingham (now Samford University). He began to serve as pastor to one “half time” church and two “quarter time” churches in 1952 while teaching math at Ider High School. Anderton later earned a master of divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., in 1955.
He served churches in Indiana and Kentucky from 1953 to 1958 and then returned to Alabama to serve as pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Gadsden, 1958–1961 and Eutaw Baptist Church, 1961–1964.
Anderton and Mollie Ellen were appointed Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) missionaries in 1964 and served in Italy until 1979. Anderton earned a language, literature and Italian history degree from the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy, in 1965.
After returning from the missions field, Anderton served as pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Hokes Bluff, 1979–1986; director of missions for Friendship Baptist Association, 1986–1996; and pastor of Village Springs Baptist Church, Remlap, 1996–2003, when he retired.
Anderton and Mollie Ellen returned to Italy twice, took one missions trip to Germany and traveled to Azerbaijan during their retirement.
Anderton was a member of First Baptist Church, Oneonta, at the time of his death.
He is survived by his wife, five children and 15 grandchildren.
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