Jon Graham Anderson died at his home in Neotsu, Ore., on May 27, 2014, from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. His wife, Christine, and daughter, Annette, were with him.

His Celebration of Life will be two-fold, one in Oregon, one in Montana. Because of health problems of a couple of family members, celebrations are not scheduled yet and the Montana celebration will happen in the spring. We will spread the word as time comes closer.

In the Big Sky State of Montana, Andy was born on Oct. 13, 1936, to Bonnie William and Bernice Irene Anderson in Great Falls. He grew up and attended school in the towns of Oilmont and Sunburst. He graduated as Co-Salutatorian from Oilmont High School in 1955.

Andy loved his life. He loved his children, Annette and Kristine, his son-in-law, Brad, and especially his two granddaughters, Jennifer and Paige. He loved his siblings, Teri Lyn Ruff and her husband, Gary; his brother, Gary; his brother, Greg; and all of their families. He loved his wife Christine, who he married in 1980 in Chehalis, Wash. He sometimes referred to her as “Princess” and, toward the end of his life, he called her his “Angel.”

He never stopped loving Montana, where he grew up. He traveled there almost every summer to visit family or attend a reunion. The people from the oilfields loved to party and re member old times, and every time she went, Christine heard another story, wondering how this husband of hers could still be alive! He loved the home Christine and he lived in with a view of Devil’s Lake, but with just a movement of the eyes, he could view a beautiful sunrise over the Sweetgrass Hills of Montana in a beautiful piece of artwork Teri Lyn and Gary gave him just last summer.

Woodcarving became Andy’s passion. It began with ducks on the east coast and fish on the west coast. He became a master at painting fish with an airbrush. About 13 years ago he began making Santa carvings for family and sold them to people who liked them. He often donated carvings to different organizations for fundraising. He also made fish pins and bird pins to give to people.

Andy also loved to fish. He and his brother Gary would take trips back to Montana to fish from time to time. He also fished with his brothers, Greg and Gary, in Oregon.

After high school, Andy spent two years at Rocky Mountain College in Billings. He was an assistant city planner for Butte, before joining the Air Force in 1958. He spent several years at Cape Canaveral as the countdown voice for Minuteman Missile launches. After 10 years as a noncommissioned officer, he was offered a commission and finished his college educe tion in Billings, majoring in Math. The time spent in the Air Force allowed him to travel to many parts of this country and the world: Cape Canaveral, Fla., Billings and Great Falls, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, Iran, Germany, Montgomery, Ala., Scott AFB, Ill., Honduras, Ft. Richie, Md., just to name a few places. When told that his next assignment would be the Pentagon, he requested that he be brought his retirement papers. After serving 26-1/2 years in the Air Force, he decided he needed a change.

He spent a year in Chehalis, before moving to the Lincoln City area. Christine and he settled in Neotsu, two years after moving there. Retired, he pursued his hobby of woodcarving until the end of his life. We are all missing his voice, his cheerfulness, his kindness, his sense of humor and his love for all of us.

If you wish to make any donations, they should be directed to the American Cancer Society, specifically for re search for a cure for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Thank you.