Jay Howard Houser

Jay Howard Houser entered heaven Wednesday, October 26, 2022.  He was born August 29, 1934, in Reedsville, PA.  He was the elder son of the late D. Howard and Anna Mary (Hetrick) Houser.  Jay graduated from Armaugh Brown High School in 1952 and joined his father running the tenant farm in Mifflin County.  In 1959, Jay’s parents purchased the farm in Spring Mills and moved to Centre County.  On May 15, 1960, Jay married Mary Florence Rearick.  For the next 46 years, they worked side by side developing a quality herd of registered Holsteins.  They especially enjoyed showing their Penn Dell Holsteins at the Centre County Grange Fair.   

Jay was well known and very active in the farming community.  He served in numerous roles in the Centre County, the PA, and the National Holstein Associations, the PA Farm Bureau, the Centre/Clinton Farm Service Agency, the Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA), and Sire Power.  He also was a 25 year leader of the Centre County 4-H Dairy Club.  Over his lifetime, he received countless awards for his dedication to the dairy industry.  He was most proud of being named a Master Farmer in 1983 and of being inducted into the PA Holstein Hall of Fame in 1998 and the PA Dairy Hall of Fame in 2012.

Jay loved visiting with people, breeding and looking at good cows, farming his crops, and butchering each fall with family and friends.  He was a Pioneer seed salesman for over 20 years serving Penns Valley, Brush Valley, and Sugar Valley.  He was an avid Penn State football fan having held season tickets for over 40 years.  Jay attended New Hope Lutheran Church, Spring Mills, formerly known as St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.  In his younger days, he taught the men’s Sunday School Class as well as serving numerous times as the president of the church council and the Spring Mills Joint Council.

Jay and Mary raised five children and instilled the love of farming in them.  Mary passed away November 17, 2006.  Jay is survived by his children:  Mary Ellen Storm (Craig), Sandra Haagen (Stephen), Karen Auman (Benjamin), Barbara Kerstetter, and James Houser (Teresa); his seven grandchildren: Kaleb Storm (Kamryn), Jacob Kadel (Seryozha), Isaac Haagen, Aaron Auman (Joanna), Charlotte Natali (Paul), Kristen Houser, and Kurtis Houser; and his three great grandchildren: Avery Auman, Isaiah Auman, and Carter Natali.  Also surviving is one brother David L. Houser (Cecelia) and his first wife’s sister Faye Koenigsberg (Doug).

On April 23, 2014, Jay married Gladys C. (Waite) Hartle.  Jay and Gladys joined the Penn State Wrestling and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Clubs and traveled around the country for the various matches.  They enjoyed watching Penn State football and Philadelphia Phillies baseball on TV.  They also were active in the Logan Grange and Ag Forum.  They hosted numerous picnics and pig roasts for family and friends.  She survives at their home.

Jay is survived by five stepchildren: Linda Clapper (Bill), Janet Hartle (David Wiegand), Tom Hartle (Lori), Deborah Fedore (John), and Betsy Hoffman and 11 step grandchildren and 13 step great grandchildren.  He is also survived by Gladys’s sister Beverly Reese.

In addition to his first wife, Jay was preceded in death by four sisters:  Mary Margaret Lacombe, Sara Ann Gray, infant Charlotte Irene Houser, and Donna Marie Fredd.  He was also preceded in death by one son-in-law Ed Kerstetter, by Mary’s brother Allen Rearick, and by Gladys’s sister Lois Sims. 

A visitation for family and friends will be held Friday, November 4, 2022, from 9:00 – 11:00 am at New Hope Lutheran Church in Spring Mills, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 am with Pastor Lauretta Dietrich officiating.  Jay will be laid to rest in Heckman Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Jay may be given to the Junior Holstein Association, 839 Benner Pike, State College, PA 16801 or to New Hope Lutheran Church, 119 Cobblestone Rd, Spring Mills, PA 16875.  

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