Jodey John Anderson

On Friday July 12, 2019, our brother Jodey John Anderson passed away. He was born in 1955 and enjoyed telling people that he had three birthdays. He liked birthdays. He graduated from Evergreen High School in 1973 and attended the Colorado School of Mines for a short time. Jodey had a keen intellect and the eye of an artist. His high school chemistry teacher told Doris that he was the most gifted student he had ever taught. Jodey went to work at Henderson Mine on Berthod Pass, mining molybdenum. He enjoyed working there, loved the bazaar schedule and the people he met. Moving on he came to work for our parents at Anderson's Mountain Market. Prior to our store opening he went to work at a sub shop to learn how to make sandwiches and he went to work at 7-Eleven, usually working the graveyard shifts so he could inventory the store so they knew what to put on the shelves at our store.

His time at the market was spent interacting with all of the people who would stop, sometimes just to chat. There was generally a crowd in the office intermingling with all four of them, our parents Walt and Doris plus our sister Beth. The whole family would come in to help with the lunch crowd. There would be 50 to 60 high school students there and they only had so much time making us hustle to get them their sandwiches. We loved every minute. The store was Jodey's life at the time.

Jodey could be generous to his nieces and nephews. One time he built a teepee in the back yard and invited them to a pow-wow. He loved the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, acting as the master of ceremonies for Walt and Doris' party that they would throw at their house overlooking the lake.

After Anderson's Mountain Market was sold, he set out to eradicate the invasive thistles, starting on his property and expanding to include the entire valley. We would see him driving around town with a full truck load and when he spotted a thistle he would just stop by the side of the road like the tourists do with the elk. He would also help anybody who needed anything. In his truck we found a load of signs from some big event directing people to the parking lot. There must have been a hundred signs that he picked-up. We have no idea what event it was but he also picked up the trash.

Jodey was a kind soul who loved this community and the people. He was an artist who loved rocks. Arranging the kaleidoscope of moss rocks into a solid wall appealed to his creative side. He was also a logger who loved cutting down beetle kill trees for their color and to use in his house and the store. Probably to know Jodey was to know his art which he expressed through photography. He loved to take photos of Evergreen Lake at sundown and the Mount Evans view from his deck. His passion for the land was on display when he married the parcel where his home is built. The parcel was a hodge-podge of 58 odd-shaped lots that he purchased from multiple sellers including Children's Hospital and Denver Masonic Lodge. The four-story house that Jodey built, mimicked Walt and Doris' house; both were owner-built, were faced with moss rock, and had panoramic views of the mountains.

We are planning a memorial service August 3, 2019 at 3:00 pm at 480 Willow Creek Road, Evergreen CO 89437. Please bring a chair! It is going to be on the land that our grandparents purchased in 1895. In lieu of flowers please pull up a thistle in Jodey's honor. If you insist on giving money please give to Mountain Area Land Trust.

Jodey was proceeded in death by his parents Walt and Doris and his sister Lisa. He was outlasted by his brothers Steve (Mimi), Peter (Pam), his sisters Mary (Joe) Karuzas and Beth (Wayne) plus six nieces and nephews. This community is wonderful and the family would like to thank everyone who have expressed their stories and shared his life.