A Celebration of Life for 89-year old Dr Frank “Doc” Anders of Crawford, NE, will be held Wed, May 24, 2023, at 10:00 at the Crawford Community Building
A luncheon will follow at the Crawford Volunteer Fire Department.
Any and everyone is welcome to attend the service and luncheon because any and everyone was a friend to Frank or Doc, depending on how they knew him.
Interment will be at a later date at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.
A memorial has been set up through the Crawford Volunteer Fire Department at P.O. Box 184 Crawford, NE 69339.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com
Francis Edmond “Frank” “Doc” Anders Frank “Doc” Anders was born on September 6, 1933, in Ellsinore, Missouri to Oral E. & Mabel A. (WhiteSide) Anders. He was 89 years young when he went to be with our Heavenly Father on May 17, 2023, in Rapid City, SD, after a short battle with cancer and suffering from a broken neck. He was surrounded by his loving family and some dear friends that made the trip to see him in his final hours.
Doc grew up in Kansas and then Wyoming, where there were four graduates in his high school graduating class in Hawk Springs. Uncle Sam gave him a two-year stint during the Korean War in Fort Bliss, Texas, working on guided missiles for the Army.
When Frank came back from the service, he decided to become a veterinarian. He spent two years at the University of Wyoming, then four years at Colorado State University where he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
It began a lifelong career of 60 years which saw him practice medicine in South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and surrounding states. After graduation, Frank went to work for Dr Jim Bastian in Edgemont, SD, then in 1965 was offered a partnership in Chadron, NE, with Dr Jack Hawley.
Frank remained in practice with Hawley until 1970, when he moved his family to Crawford and went into private practice. For the first 2 years, he rented the veterinarian barn at Fort Robinson State Park, then held the grand opening for his new clinic in 1972.
While in college, Frank met his beautiful bride, the late Alice Marie (Hacker) Anders. Together they had 3 children: a daughter Taenia, and two sons; Art and Kent.
In his lack of spare time, Frank enjoyed spending time with his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids making candy or canning. He also enjoyed attending all his grandchildren’s events, teaching them all how to work in the hay fields, and if there was a Bible school, he made sure his grandchildren attended.
Frank enjoyed going to vet meetings with his wife, kids, and grandkids, but also enjoyed water skiing, fishing for salmon, and deep sea fishing.
It took Frank no time to get involved after moving to Crawford and was a pillar of the community for 5 decades. He was a member of the Crawford Volunteer Fire Dept for over 60 years, starting while he was still practicing in Chadron, and served as Fire Chief from 1976-1985.
Frank became a member of the Crawford School Board after only 2 years of living in Crawford and joined the Old West Trail Rodeo Board in 1972, serving as president in 1974 to 1975.
He rejoined the Rodeo Board in 1991 and served 2 more years as president from 1993-1994. Doc was the on-call veterinarian for any and all rodeos that came to Crawford from 1975-2022.
All would agree that Doc did not meet anyone who did not become a friend. He had an incredible love for animals and was one of few people that was able to make his career something he truly enjoyed.
We also all knew that if Doc could not stitch it, glue it, fix it or find the foreign object, it was really BAD.
He was a leader of the Southern Baptist Church all his adult life. Doc was a remarkable man and a strong, unapologetic follower of Jesus Christ with profound faith that lasted to the end.
Frank “Doc” is survived by his daughter Taenia Anders Storbeck of Gillette, WY; son Art (Haley) Anders of Crawford; son Kent (Lisa) Anders of Bayard, NE; grandchildren Tanielle (Matt) Senn, Taezia (Erik) Tischer, Telbe Storbeck, Tashala (Tyler) Luraas, Colby Anders, Kalane Anders, Rope Anders, Dalli Anders, Ty Anders, and Cash Anders; and great-grandkids Taylee, Treyson, Talon, Macoby, Tenley, Torren, Maddox, and Tiden; his brother Dale Anders; sister Georgia Slagle; and many nieces and nephews.
Frank was preceded in death by his wife Alice, his parents, 1 sister, 2 brothers, and great-granddaughter Waylyn Alice Luraas.
Bates-Gould Funeral Home of Alliance is in charge of arrangements for Frank “Doc” Anders