Jeffrey Earl Anderson

1957 - 2013

On the eve of his 57th birthday this Wednesday, we would like to remember our brother, Jeffrey Earl Anderson, age 56 of Empire, Colo., who died in a single vehicle accident on Nov. 19, 2013. The accident occurred outside Rifle, Colo. while Jeff was in the area working for Green River Energy Resources.

Jeff was born "Jeffrey Earl Cowdin" on July 30, 1957 in Denver, Colo., the youngest of three children of Lloyd Royce and Jane Buckingham Cowdin. After the couple divorced in 1960, Jane remarried Robert Bailey Anderson of West Branch, Iowa. The children were adopted by their step-father in 1965, changing their last name to "Anderson." The new family lived in Iowa City, Iowa from 1961 to 1971 where Jeff attended Lincoln Elementary and Central Jr. High Schools. Jeff was adventurous and so active that it seemed like he always had some part of his body in a cast. He was fascinated by the Civil War, developing a unique collection of Civil War artifacts by age 12. In 1971 the family moved to Marshalltown, Iowa.

Jeff's high school years in Marshalltown were turbulent, but although he didn't graduate with his class, he did receive his G.E.D. shortly thereafter in 1974 and then headed out to Denver, Colo. After that he headed up to Story, Wyo. and into the Big Horn mountains of Wyoming. In the 1980s Jeff traveled often across the country, spending time in Florida, Colorado, Wyoming, and Mexico; a major highlight of his life being the time he spent in the Copper Canyon region. No matter where he roamed, he always returned to Wyoming. In Laramie he met the love of his life and future wife and partner, Patsy Garlow of Cody, Wyo. He enrolled in the University of Wyoming and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in geophysics in the mid 1990s. After obtaining his degree, he began working in the oil and gas exploration industry. In addition, he and Patsy owned and managed RV parks in Buffalo and Sheridan, Wyo. until 2000 when they moved to Tucson, Ariz. After their move to Tucson, Jeff continued to work in the oil patch but in 2008 he began a new project, construction of a Swiss chalet for his brother, Scott, and sister-in-law, Julia, up on their high mountain property. Jeff spent the next five summers quarrying rocks, cutting and milling timber, setting beams, and generally enjoying every moment of summers spent in the mountains of Montana. While working, Jeff would often only come down out of the mountains in order to go to nearby Chico Hot Springs. He very much loved the water, food and people there.

He also loved his work in the oil patch, exploration in particular, and had many adventures and made many fast friends along the way. He was very proud of his heli-portable drilling work for Green River and can be seen hard at it in the IAGC Seismic Surveys video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjrvUY_PVac&feature=youtu.be.

When he wasn't playing with TNT, he enjoyed playing golf, snorkeling, real estate ventures, and Mexican food.

Jeff is survived by: wife, Patsy Garlow, Empire, Colo.; brother, Scott Buckingham Anderson, Bozeman; sister, Susan "Sue" Anderson Frary, Helena, Mont.; sister-in-law, Julia Landerdahl Anderson, Bozeman; step-sister, Charla Lee Anderson, Iowa City, Iowa; step-son, Eric Schmidt, Prescott, Ariz.; step-son, Nathan Schmidt, Ventura, Calif.; nephew, Patrick Buckingham Anderson, Bozeman.