J.D. Anderson

J. D. (Joy Duane) Anderson passed away on Saturday March 12, 2016 at the age of 100. He had been a resident of Creston Specialty Care since May of 2007. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marna Jayne (Holmes) Anderson, and is survived by his daughters, Marlys, (Steve), Kerton, of Monument Colorado, Janis Owens (Larry) of Creston, Iowa. J. D. is, also, survived by his three grandchildren: Ethan Owens (wife Dana), Waukee, IA, Eric Owens (wife Kylie) Leawood, KS, and Leanne (Owens) Smith (husband Rusty) Norwalk IA. He is also survived by 7 great grandchildren: Evelyn and Jeanie Owens Waukee, Katelyn and Thomas Owens Leawood KS and Adelaide, Eva and Graham Smith Norwalk, IA., his nephew Duane (Marlene) Anderson of Bolivia, South America.
J.D. Anderson was born May 22, 1915 to Lewis Ethan Anderson and Rosetta Adelaide (Carress) Anderson at Nutana (near Saskatoon), Saskatchewan, Canada. His parents had moved from Lamoni, Iowa to Canada about 1911 to take out a homestead on government land, where his sister, two years his senior, Losa La June (Anderson) Welborn was born, and where his brother, Harold F. Anderson was born, 14 months his junior. After a few hard years of trying to farm the cold prairie land of Saskatchewan, Lewis sold out and moved his family to Independence, Mo. J.D. grew up in Independence and Chadwick Mo. areas as his parents were trying to make a living during hard times. He served in the civilian conservation corps in Minnesota during the hard years of the Depression.
He started his 12 year career with the RLDS church as a traveling missionary and met his future wife Marna Jayne (Holmes) at a church reunion in the summer of 1940. They were married on June 21, 1942, Joy Illinois. They first settled in Cameron, Missouri, where they served in the pastorate for two years. In 1944 they were assigned to the Church in Joplin, MO. After two years their first daughter Marlys Joy was born, March 15, 1946, just a short time before they were transferred to Kansas City, where J. D. was made president of the Metropolitan District. In three years, May 13, 1949, their second daughter, Janis Elaine, was born in Independence
In 1953 they decided to leave full time church work and prepare for a career in professional psychiatric work, a long-term interest for J. D. They moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where he could complete his university training at the University of Iowa. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1956 and, also, a two-year Master’s degree in Psychiatric Social Work in 1958: both at the University of Iowa. In the fall of 1958 he started his professional career as a Psychiatric Social Worker at the Linn County Mental Health Center of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He served there for 27 years and commuted from Iowa City. He retired in 1985, at the age of 70. He and his wife retired to Independence, Mo., where they lived until 1995, when health concerns entered their lives, they decided to move to Creston to be closer to daughter Janis and family.
J.D. always had a huge interest in learning and had many subjects that were special to him, such as religion and the study of the scriptures, including the base root of the language, geology and how it pertained to the making of the earth, the theory of evolution and he disagreed with the life cycles of animals and astrology. When his eyesight began to fail from macular degeneration, he was willing to try anything that would help from magnifiers, computer software and closed circuit TV readers. It slowed his poetry writing but he persevered. He did a lot of recording of his favorite television programs on VHS to watch later at his leisure.
He enjoyed music very much and often would break out singing songs to entertain himself. He always loved to sing to his children and grandchildren when they were growing and continued that when his great grandchildren, would visit him at the nursing home. He had a very special talent of cutting out shapes with only a pair of scissors and a piece of construction paper, such as horses, camels, cows, cowboy on a horse including spurs and the nativity scene. Truly a unique talent.
Since his retirement he has been pursuing various areas of special interest, especially poetry. In pursuing his interest in poetry, he did provide pleasure to a number of people who enjoy poetry by composing rhymes about birthdays, anniversaries, special achievements, unusual incidents, courage in face of adversities, opportunities to poke fun at himself.
Preceding him in death, his parents, wife Marna Jayne, sister La June (Anderson) Welborn, (husband Harvey) of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and younger brother Harold Anderson and his wife Mary, of Independence, Mo.