A man of few words, known as Jeremy Anderson, has more of a story to tell than he lets on. Jeremy was raised on a small cattle and hog farm in a single wide trailer just south of Keenes, Illinois. He is known for his hard work ethic and his willingness to lend a helping hand to anyone who may ask; “Mr. Fix-it” is a perfect way to describe Jeremy. As a youngster, he worked for Four Mile Township, repairing roads with his father’s blood brother, and best friend, Robert Buchanan. Jeremy also worked on the family farm taking care of the few cattle they had, along with over a hundred hogs in just a few barns. “Everything had to be done by hand. Catching, castrating, and notching hogs was a chore that nobody wanted,” Jeremy stated.

After graduating from Wayne City High School, Jeremy met his wife of 24 years, Yvette Schumm, while also attending Rend Lake College, or as he calls it, the University of Ina. Studying there, he achieved three certificates in welding, along with an Associate of Science degree in Industrial Technology, leading him to his current job today as a Field Service Technician for Henkels & McCoy.

Working at Henkels for over 25 years has taken him to some mysterious places to restore power in varying cities in a time of need. Jeremy states his job has led him to Delaware, New York City, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas during hurricanes, ice storms, and to build new electrical structures.

Jeremy and Yvette had two daughters, three years apart; Hallie and Meghan. Jeremy expressed the joy he felt when he was gifted with his two daughters, though the stress they would cause him due to his lack of knowledge of teenage girls, considering he was raised an only child. The stress ultimately led to the loss of his signature red hair in later years.

To this day, Jeremy, Yvette, and their two daughters live on the same farm Jeremy was raised on. Ridding of the hogs, the Anderson family now operates a commercial and registered cow calf operation with over 100 head of cattle. They grain farm over 800 acres of land, not including the fields they use to grow silage and hay to feed their livestock.

Jeremy and his family believe it is in human nature to give back to the land what they take out. Spreading the manure their cattle produce, back onto the land their grain, silage, and hay is grown to feed their cattle is a regular duty. Being good stewards of the land is a given for this remarkable family. Jeremy expressed in his interview that to be a good person, people need to be humble and appreciative of what they have, and that is something Jeremy lives by.