Joseph C. Ebert, age 75, of Clay Center, passed away Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan.
He was born November 24, 1950, the son of Kenneth Charles and Dorothy Louise (Weixelman) Ebert.
Joe graduated from Westmoreland High School with the class of 1968, the school’s first graduating class. He liked to joke that he held every football record at Westmoreland and then admit that there had simply been no one ahead of him to set them.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Kansas State University in 1971 and a master’s degree in Ruminant Nutrition from South Dakota State University. Joe excelled at livestock judging in high school and college, and the eye for good stock that he developed served him for the rest of his career.
He married Cheryl Carr in 1973, and they lived and worked on her family’s ranch in White River, SD, where they raised three daughters, Janet, Anna, and Rebecca, but later divorced.
In 1986 the family moved from South Dakota to Valentine, NE, where Joe sold Hubbard and Zip Feeds. In 1998 he moved to Clay Center and served as general manager of Fourth & Pomeroy /Key Feeds until his retirement in 2021. He loved ranching and running the feed business, and he spent his working life close to both.
In addition to livestock, Joe raised horses, sheep and pigs in his childhood and rarely went without a dog nearby, with Rastus, Candy BoJangles, and Ajax counted among his best friends.
Joe was a steady source of support for his three daughters throughout their lives, and he carried that same generosity into the causes he believed in.
He had a deep love for Kansas State University, especially the agriculture department. He was an avid supporter of the Animal Sciences and Industry Academic Quadrathlon, a team competition that tests student knowledge and experience in the animal sciences.
He also loved being outdoors, and he camped, skied, and hiked. He made a point of visiting the national parks, and on any long drive he stopped at every historical marker, or “hysterical” marker, as he liked to call them. In his later years he took up woodworking, building furniture for his children and grandchildren, and he was a devoted bird watcher.
He is survived by his daughters, Janet Lancaster (Jim) of Hastings, NE, Anna Blackwood (Eric) of St. George, KS, and Becky Kelderman (Brad) of Cameron, MO; four brothers, Michael Ebert of St. George, KS, Ken Ebert (Karen) of Salina, KS, Rick Ebert of Manhattan, KS, and Jeff Ebert of Westmoreland, KS; two sisters, Martha Reed (Carl) of Manhattan, KS, and Deanna Pierson; eight grandchildren, Nathan Lancaster (Tessa), Cameron Lancaster, Kylie Lancaster, Lynsie Lancaster, Brandy Blackwood, Lauren Blackwood, Ian Blackwood, and Austin Blackwood; and one great-grandchild on the way.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Robert; and sister Teresa Brockish.
A memorial gathering will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall in Flush.
Memorials may be made to the ASI Academic Quadrathlon at Kansas State University and may be left in care of the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 176, Riley, KS 66531.
Condolences may be left for the family at www.apfunerals.com.
