* Harold S. Anderson; Retired Stock Broker

Ventura resident Harold Stevens Anderson died Tuesday at his home after a brief illness. He was 96.

Anderson was born April 10, 1904, in Rawling, Wyo., and moved to Ventura County in 1930.

He graduated from Stanford University in 1927 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. While at Stanford, Anderson was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Anderson worked at Shell Oil Co. in Long Beach and in 1930 was transferred to the company’s Ventura facility. He moved to Ventura with his wife, Catherine Anderson, to whom he was married for 55 years.

In August 1933, Anderson went into the brokerage business and in 1938 opened the county’s first brokerage office, his family said. In 1948, he joined Dean Witter & Co., from which he retired in 1984.

Anderson’s family said he was a strong believer in the free enterprise system and frequently took time to talk to people about opportunities in the stock market.

An avid golfer, he was a founding partner of the California Country Club in Los Angeles. Anderson was also a longtime member and past president of the Saticoy Country Club.

He was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by a nephew and several nieces and grandnieces.

A funeral is planned for 2 p.m. Friday at Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura, which is handling all arrangements. Burial will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.

Contributions may be made in Anderson’s name to the Boys & Girls Club of Ventura or the Ventura County Medical Center.