On March 17, 1940, he married Beulah (Bea) Roedell, and they lived in Merced
most of their marriage. He worked as controller for Miles and Sons Trucking
for 23 years and as manager for Merced Irrigation District for 13 years. He
retired at age 65, but he continued to be active with area water issues for
the next 20 years and served on the staff of U.S. Congressional
Representative Gary Condit.
Jay is survived by Bea Anderson, his wife of 69 years; daughter Karen
(Daryl) Poppen of Keyes, CA; daughter Jayne (Rich) Price of Mt. Hermon, CA;
3 grandsons; 2 great grandsons; and four sisters: Nita Canova of Santa
Barbara, CA; Jewel Blair of Merced, CA; JoElla Billings of Safety Harbor,
FL; and Bobbie (Gene) Crowley of Austin, TX.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Ellie Anderson, his brothers Grady, Earle, and Ray Anderson, sisters Gertrude Lippolis and Helen McMurran, and grandson Greg Poppen.
Jay was a member of the Merced Kiwanis Noon Club and served as Kiwanis Lt.
Governor in 1973-74. He was also a member of the Masons and Shriners. Jay
served as an elder of Central Presbyterian Church, where he and Bea attended
since 1940. He was most recently a docent for the Merced County Historical
Society and a member of the China-Burma-India Veterans Association.
He will be remembered as a loving husband, caring father, grandfather, and
great grandfather, a loyal brother, and a devoted friend. He was a faithful
servant of Jesus Christ, and he entered into heaven on May 7, 2009.
There will be a viewing at Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home, 1490 B
Street, Merced on Friday, May 15, 2009 from 10 am to 12 pm. A memorial
service will be held on Friday, May 15, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. at Central
Presbyterian Church, 1929 Canal Street, Merced, CA. A reception will follow
in the Hoffmeister Center at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Central Presbyterian
Church, 1920 Canal Street, Merced, CA 95340, or to Mt. Hermon Christian
Conference Center, P. O. Box 413, Mt. Hermon, CA 95041.