James Anderson

A funeral service for James Anderson, age 56, of Terril, will be held Wednesday, June 24th at 10:30 AM at United Methodist Church in Terril. Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery. A visitation for James will be on Tuesday, June 23rd from 5:00-7:00 PM at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford.

Memorials in memory of James will be used to establish an Ag Memorial Scholarship at Iowa Lakes Community College.

James passed away June 19, 2026 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

James Lee Anderson was born May 25, 1970, in Estherville, Iowa, completing the family of Duane and Jean (Koenecke) Anderson. He grew up in the rural Terril area, attending Lake Center Elementary and Terril High School, which he graduated from in 1988. He then went on to receive his Associate of Applied Science degree in Farm Management from Iowa Lakes Community College, which fostered a lifelong passion for agriculture and crop management.

After a night out with friends, James met the love of his life, Tammy Matthews, and they were married April 20th, 1996. In this union, two families became one, with James bringing Tyler and Josh, and Tammy bringing Krista, Kourtney, and Kasaundra. The family became complete with the addition of Carter in 1999. The family has always lived in the rural Terril area and have many stories of the trials of living in old farmhouses, until they moved to their forever home, the original Anderson homeplace, north of Terril.

Turning a passion into a business, James proudly owned and operated Anderson Trucking for many years before passing the business down to his sons. Never one to turn down work, James was known for getting in the trucks on an early Saturday morning if the boys weren’t quite quick enough. Following his years of trucking, James took great pride in his work as a Crop Specialist. His clients were his top priority. He was never too busy to stop and check a field, even if that field was in a different state and James was supposed to be on vacation.

When he wasn’t checking fields, James was an avid Hawkeye fan who rarely missed a game, holding season tickets and creating countless memories attending football games with family and friends. A special tradition-James would take each grandchild along to experience Kinnick stadium, “the wave”, and the Hawkeyes rushing the field to “Back in Black”. He also cherished time outdoors, especially fishing and hunting, and looked forward to visiting family in Alexandria, Minnesota each year.

Rural way of life was the only one James knew, and he took great pride in raising cattle, something he passed down to each child and grandchild. With this he was able to provide each of his children and many of his grandchildren with the opportunity to show cattle and other livestock, something that continues to this day. The peace of living in the country was special to James, and many quiet nights he could be found going for a ranger ride with an array of grandchildren and always accompanied by his beloved dog, Lily.

Above all, James was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He could always be found in the stands, attending sporting events, concerts, fairs, and milestones of his children and grandchildren. Some of his favorite moments were the simple ones-taking the grandkids on tractor rides or taking a boat load of grandkids fishing. If the grandkids really wanted to go, Grandpa was usually the first to say yes. His greatest joy was time spent with family, when everyone was out at the farm. The memories he created with them will be treasured forever.

Some people leave footprints, but others leave a legacy. He was one of those rare people whose kindness, generosity, and larger-than-life spirit touched everyone around him. He lived life to the fullest, loved deeply, laughed often, and had a laugh that could light up any room. Though he is no longer with us, the memories he created, the lives he impacted, and the love he shared will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew him. He will be deeply missed, forever remembered, and never forgotten.

He is survived by his wife, Tammy Anderson; children, Krista Anderson of Jackson, Minnesota, Kourtney (Austin) Fairchild of Terril, Iowa, Tyler (Annie) Anderson of Estherville, Iowa, Josh (Kaytlyn) Anderson of Hitchcock, South Dakota, Kasaundra (Michael) Jensen of Graettinger, Iowa, and Carter (Madison) Anderson of Estherville, Iowa; fourteen grandchildren, Andaysia, Brody, Piper, Laney, Abram, Eli, Maggie, Sutton, Elliott, Waylon, Tate, Mia, Hank, and Stetson. He is also survived by his mother, Jean Anderson of Spirit Lake, Iowa; siblings, Cindy (Jim) McGregor of Salem, South Dakota and Rich Anderson of Terril, Iowa; mother-in-law, Connie (Brian) Zelinsky of Terril, Iowa; father-in-law, Tom Matthews, Sr. of Spirit Lake, Iowa; brother-in-law, Tom Matthews, Jr. of Terril, Iowa, and sister-in-law, Tonia (Grant) Gunderson of Lake Park, Iowa.

James was preceded in death by his father, Duane Anderson, an infant brother; paternal grandparents, Abe and Maxine Anderson; maternal grandparents, Frank and Elizabeth Koenecke.