Date of Birth:  5-22-26  (Deceased 8-15-03)

Place of Birth:  Jasper MO

Dr. Burl Zack Pfander was born 5-22-26, the son of John L. and Grace Pfander, who then lived in Jasper MO.  The Pfander family moved to a dairy farm in Barton County in the summer of 1940.  Dr. Pfander graduated from Liberal High School in 1944 and was immediately drafted into the U.S. Army.  When he returned home from World War II, he enrolled at the University of Missouri-Columbia in pre-veterinary medicine.  He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1952 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture and as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Pfander opened his first practice at 1750 S. Campbell in Springfield MO under the name of Cottage Veterinary Hospital.  Now, fifty-one years later, the Cottage Veterinary Hospital is still an active practice under the ownership of Dr. Pfander’s son, Dr. Michael B. Pfander. 

On September 5, 1948, Dr. Pfander was united in marriage to Reba M. Lanz who survives him.  Dr. Pfander was a lifetime member of both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association.  Dr. Pfander was an associate member of the American Animal Hospital Association, the Southwest Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion.  He also served on the board and was an active volunteer in the Nixa Sucker Day celebrations for many years.  He was a member of James River Chapel Church of Christ.  In December 2001, he was honored as an inductee into the MO Hereford Association’s Hall of Fame. 

Dr. Pfander is survived by his wife of 55 years, Reba; one son, Dr. Michael B. Pfander and his wife Jeanne, one granddaughter, Meghan M. Pfander, “who was the treasure of his life”; and a special young lady he loved as a daughter, Cindy B. (Gullett) Reed and her husband Steve, along with numerous other relatives.