Jay Anderson, age 87, died on June 1, 2022, in Oberlin, Kansas. He was
born in Norton, Kansas, on February 4, 1935, to Arnold and Mary (Doubrava)
Anderson.
He graduated high school in Paradise, Kansas with the class of 1953
and went on to Kansas State University for his bachelor’s degree. While
there, he departed two years to serve in the Korean War. He then went
on to K-State Veterinary School and graduated in 1962. After that he and
his first wife and three children moved to Oberlin where Dr. Anderson
began his veterinary career. A fourth child was born in Oberlin.
After practicing many years, he retired and married his second wife,
Ann Leake. They raised greyhounds for a few years and traveled the
country in a fifth wheel. They moved back to Oberlin to settle down.
Dr. Anderson participated in many community events and was active on
many local boards, including Fair Board, City Council, Library and
Rotary to name just a few. He was proud of coming from a public-minded
family that worked for the interests of northwest Kansas, including a
father who was a legislator and a grandfather who was an early Decatur
settler. He was always strategizing and making notes on ways to further
the development of Decatur County. It was rare to not see him with a
yellow note pad in his retirement days, making notes about many things.
He also loved talking to people and telling many stories of the
successes of past Kansans in bettering the community and of his own
experiences as a country veterinarian and traveler.
Dr. Anderson also loved reading and collected a personal library
focused on military and plains history. He frequently gifted his
grandsons books and educational magazines and also took them on a trip
to visit Little Bighorn Battlefield.
Dr. Anderson is survived by his wife, Ann Anderson and three
children, Jill (Anderson) Reichert and husband, Wilbur, Dresden; Amy
Anderson and partner, Mark Webster, Oklahoma and Jane Anderson. His
brother, Jon Anderson and wife Dorothy, San Francisco, CA. Also, three
grandsons, Grant Reichert, Wenatchee, WA; Gannon Reichert and wife Mary,
Oberlin and Gage Reichert and wife, Cole, Hill City and four great
grandsons, Conner, Creo, Dean and Owen.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one grandson, Gatlin Reichert.
Memorials are designated to the GROW Foundation. Jay would have
also encouraged everyone to give their time and energy to the Decatur
County Fair where he was one of the original volunteers involved in
getting the Ferris wheel for the home-grown carnival and felt it was a
very important part of keeping Decatur County strong.
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