Dr. Jay A. Anderson

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 City 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.