Each month we’ll feature a St. John’s member so we can get to know each other better. 

Getting to know you: The Anders Family

Life in the fast lane best describes the busy Anders family, with each member – Scott, Heather, Liam, and Erin – involved in some sort of motion-based activity.

Scott, from the western suburbs of Chicago, has worked in the printing business since high school, evolving as the focus shifted to digital. In 2016, he started his own business, PSG Enterprise, specializing in vinyl lettering and vehicle wraps. Being his own boss gives him the flexibility to work as a part-time driving instructor at Road America.

Heather grew up on the north side of Milwaukee with her sister Lee Anne Runnells, who also attends St. John’s. After graduating from Valparaiso University, Heather moved to the Chicago area to start her career in bridge engineering. She currently works at HNTB Corp. in downtown Milwaukee and has been involved with the design of many major freeway projects in SE Wisconsin, including the Marquette Interchange, Zoo Interchange, and the I-43 N-S corridor currently under construction.

The two met in 1990 when a co-worker at Heather’s first job in Chicago introduced her to his best friend, Scott. They married in 1994 and honeymooned on a motorcycle tour through the Alps. In early 1999, they moved to Wisconsin to be closer to Heather’s family and snowmobiling Up North. In 2000, they moved into their Town of Jackson home and in the coming years made their family complete with Liam and Erin.

Motorsports is an Anders family affair. Besides snowmobiling in northern Wisconsin and out west, they love watching F1, Indy car, and IMSA racing, and spend many weekends at go-kart tracks where both Scott and Liam race, spectating at racing events, working track support for others, or driving on the track themselves. They even have a dedicated track car that Scott, Heather, and Liam use for high-performance driving events. Erin is currently less interested in being behind a racing wheel herself and instead is their official news source for all things F1.

And in other news, Liam is in his second year at MSOE, studying mechanical engineering. He’ll watch just about any kind of auto racing on TV, which he probably considers research for a future career as an engineer on an auto racing team. Erin is a sophomore at Germantown High School. Most of her waking hours outside of school are devoted to dance – taking classes, competing in many styles, and performing in her dance studio’s production of the Nutcracker ballet for the past 11 years.

Fun Facts:

• The whole family got to “cozy up,” modeling snowmobile gear and clothing that appeared in a catalog and product videos.
• Speaking of moving, Liam was the last baby baptized in the old STJ’s sanctuary (now the Gathering Space). Immediately after the service the pews were taken out and hauled away.
• Talented in more than dance, Erin had a piece of her photography on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum last year as part of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.