A life marked by honors and accolades, Darrell Anderson accomplished much during his 75 years on this earth. But if you were to ask him what he treasured most in this world, it was undoubtedly his relationship with Jesus.
“God will bless your life richly if you only will give him a chance – put your trust in Him and He will never fail you,” Darrell would often say.
Close behind his love for the Lord was his passion for family and purebred livestock. Darrell was born on Dec. 10, 1949, to Roland and Lucille Anderson in Sherburn, Minn. His family had a small commercial hog operation and a purebred sheep flock that Darrell initiated with the help of his older brother Jim, who was killed in a tragic car accident at the young age of 21. Darrell, only 14 at the time, carried on their small purebred sheep flock. An active 4-H and FFA member, he never thought about attending college until an Extension summer intern introduced him to the world of livestock judging. That changed the trajectory of his life.
His love of livestock judging led him to South Dakota State University where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences in 1972. While working on his master’s degree at SDSU, he coached the wool judging team and served as assistant livestock judging coach. Before he completed his master’s degree, he was offered a position as public relations director at the Federated Rural Electric Association in Jackson, Minn. During this time, he provided leadership in various sheep organizations and started the first-ever Minnesota Suffolk Sheep Show and Sale at the Jackson County Fair.
On Aug. 9, 1975, he married the love of his life, Merlene. Not long after they were married, Darrell accepted the position of Cottonwood County Extension Director. During his interview, he told the committee that one of his goals was to coach a national championship 4-H livestock judging team. Although they did not have a judging program at the time, Darrell believed in this dream and eventually achieved this goal in 1980 when his county team won the national 4-H judging contest in Louisville, Ky. He also became an auctioneer and was elected president of the National Suffolk Sheep Association.
This was a busy but rewarding time in Darrell’s life. However, in 1981, with two young sons at home, Darrell made the tough decision to leave Extension and accept a job with First Bank in Windom, Minn. He hoped the more regular schedule would afford more time for his young family. In 1985, he decided it was time to move on when the bank’s priorities no longer supported the agricultural needs of his community. For a brief period, he raised sheep, judged lamb shows and auctioneered to pay the bills until he was approached by the American Yorkshire Club to apply for the executive secretary position. Little did this organization realize back in 1987 that their decision to hire a “sheep kid” from Minnesota would one day revolutionize the purebred swine industry.
Darrell guided the practical application of the American Yorkshire Club’s new swine genetic improvement program – STAGES – by publishing the first “across herd sire summary” that helped the program take off. Unfortunately, the 1990s brought record low market hog prices, significant reductions in the number of breeders’ production sales, a shift from family operations to larger and more numerous commercial operations and in general, the higher cost of running and maintaining an association. This made the need to consolidate a reality that the Duroc, Hampshire and Yorkshire associations each had to face. In 1994, he led the merger of the three organizations into the National Swine Registry (NSR) in his new role as chief executive officer. The Landrace breed followed suit in 1998.
For 25 years, Darrell’s leadership steadied, sustained and grew the purebred swine industry. NSR embarked on a long-range strategic planning journey in 1998 and 1999. This led to the creation and development of the National Junior Swine Association, the hiring of geneticists and the growth of NSR shows and sales.
For some, Darrell’s sharp business mind was his greatest attribute throughout his tenure in the swine industry. For others, it was his creative ability to envision, implement and navigate periods of change. And for many who called themselves his employees, it was his leadership style that made him a legend whose service to the swine industry will always be remembered. One thing that cannot be denied is that Darrell developed a cohort of leaders that have directly affected animal agriculture and changed it for the better. One of his special gifts was seeing the potential in others.
In 2003, Darrell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. With the NSR Executive Committee’s support, he continued to serve eight more years as CEO. During this time, Darrell and Merlene grew their llama business, Solid Rock Llamas, that started when both boys were gone and “empty nest syndrome” struck. They developed a nationally competitive herd of llamas and created the March Llama Madness Show and Sale of Champions.
Since he was a little boy, Darrell was fascinated by auctioneers and took every opportunity he could to listen to auctioneers. He auctioneered and judged sheep shows and sales in 21 states. He cried the first llama production sale held in the U.S. in Salem, Ore., and served as auctioneer for most of the top llama sales in the country.
His travel schedule was never light, but he always made time for his family. He served on countless committees and boards, but his favorite board was the bleacher board watching his boys Benjamin and Gregory play basketball in high school and college. No one could be prouder than Darrell of their achievements and of the families they’ve built.
Darrell never passed up the opportunity to help other breed associations and served in a variety of leadership positions on the National Livestock and Meat Board, the National Swine Improvement Federation, the National Pedigreed Livestock Council, the National Pork Producers Council, the United States Livestock Genetic Exports and the National Pork Board. He was honored with the 2005 Long Time Service Award -National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest, the 2006 Livestock Publications Council’s Headliner Award and the 2016 Pork Industry Distinguished Service Award. In 2022, his portrait was hung in the prestigious Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Gallery.
From his editorials in Seedstock Edge magazine to his heartwarming speeches to his famous Top 10 list at the North American International Livestock Exposition Senior Collegiate Judging Contest, Darrell’s motivation, humor and ideas will long be remembered. He was the type of person who didn’t need the spotlight, who put others before himself, and always found the good in life. He prioritized his relationship with Jesus, treasured every minute he walked alongside his wife, admired the strengths and talents of his sons and took great pride in the amazing grandchildren God put in his life.
On June 13, 2025, Darrell Dean Anderson went home to be with Jesus. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Merlene Leila (Worthley); son Benjamin Dean and his wife Steffi (Rayburn), grandson Samuel Gabe (Raelyn Lomison), and granddaughter Mylo Hannah; son Gregory Donald and his wife Katie (Ramsay), grandsons Elijah Dean, Jude Thomas, Oliver Curtis and Shepherd Wallace, and granddaughter Naomi Kate. He’s preceded in death by his parents Roland and Lucille (Schafer), brother Richard, sister-in-law Joyce and brother James.
A celebration of his life will take place on Friday, June 20 at Connection Point Church at 2541 Cumberland Ave., West Lafayette, Ind. Visitation will be held from 10 am – noon, followed by a service at noon.
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