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He helped build the faces of presidents
Jackson resident Edward "Tony" Anton, who had the distinction of being one of the last surviving drillers who worked on Mt. Rushmore, died Sunday, July 8, in an area hospital at age 93. In an article which appeared in the Sept. 8, 2005 issue of The South Alabamian, Anton recalled his time working on the national monument. He spent one year working on the 14-year project. Part of his job involved being lowered down in a swing-type chair to perform his work as directed by the monument's designer artist Guston Borglem. He was given the nickname "Pee Wee," supposedly due to his short stature. The nickname stuck and is engraved on a marker along with others who worked on the monument. Anton helped with the carving of the faces of Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Although much of his job involved dangling at such a dangerous height, he said after awhile he got used to it. For many years after leaving his job at Mt. Rushmore, Anton gave little thought to what he had been a part of until he married his wife, Fae, who was an educator. She urged him to return to the monument, where he attended a reunion in 1991, an event that was broadcast on national television. While living in Jackson, Anton enjoyed speaking to clubs and organizations when asked. He would get excited when presenting some of the momentos he collected relating to his time spent as a driller on the monument.
A memorial service for Anton will be conducted Friday, July 13, 2 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Jackson. Plans are to scatter his ashes at Mt. Rushmore.
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