Obituary: Jay Dee Brecheisen

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7/7/1938 – 3/20/2026
Lawrence

Jay Dee Brecheisen, 87, of Lawrence, Kansas passed away Friday, March 20, 2026 surrounded by family in his home. A visitation will be held at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home the evening of March 25, 2026 and the funeral will be held Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene.

Jay Dee was born July 7, 1938 in Clearfield, Kansas to Edith and Philip Brecheisen. He grew up with four siblings, Marcella, Marvin, Dale and Philip. As a young child he had a passion for sports and excelled at basketball and baseball, leading Baldwin to many winning seasons before graduating in 1956. On January 17, 1957 he married Barbara Anne Penny at age 18. They welcomed five daughters together and reached their sixty-ninth year of marriage in 2026. Jay Dee sustained a long career at Farmland, where he worked as an electrician for approximately 35 years. He was a pig farmer and enjoyed raising cattle on his family farm. Outside of work, he was dedicated to his church, Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene for over fifty years.

Jay Dee was a man of few words but many actions. He was known to have supported many people in his community, never shying away from the opportunity to help those in need. His athleticism was passed down through generations, allowing him to spend his retirement traveling the state to watch his grandchildren compete in various sports. Jay Dee illustrated a life well-lived led by the Lord and exemplified the meaning behind a good father and grandparent.

Jay Dee is survived by his spouse Barbara Brecheisen, brother, Philip (Charlotte) Brecheisen, his five daughters, Penny Baxter, Jo Polk, Jeri (Rob) Pringle, Deena Green and Robyn (Danny) Savannah along with eleven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents Edith and Philip Brecheisen, Marcella Madl, Marvin Brecheisen, Dale Brecheisen and son-in-law Tim Baxter.

A visitation will take place from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at the Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Funeral services will take place the following day Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene, 1470 N 1000 Rd. Lawrence, Kansas 66046. A procession will follow to the Clearfield burial site located in Eudora, Kansas. Memorial contributions can be made to Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene. Please send flowers to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home located at 601 Indiana St. Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Online condolences can be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com.

Note: The Lawrence Times is offering Lawrence and Douglas County community members space to publish remembrances of loved ones who lived in this community, free of charge. These pieces are submitted by family and friends of the deceased and not written by our staff. Photos are also provided to the publication, and some may have been altered prior to submission. Read more obituaries here.

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