James, Ivan E. (1920-2018)

JAMES, CARR, OLSON, THORSON

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 2/19/2018 at 18:42:00

Ivan E. James
April 22, 1920 - January 21, 2018

Ivan E. James, age 97, of Ames, Iowa, and formerly of Storm Lake, Iowa, died on January 21, 2018, in Ames.

Ivan E. James, a son of Elmer and Edith (Carr) James, was born on a farm south of Milford, Iowa, on April 22, 1920. He attended country school through the eighth grade and graduated from Milford High School in 1937. He stayed on the farm until 1940 when he enrolled at Iowa State College in Ames. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force. In September of 1942, he went to Africa with the 8th Air Depot as an electrician. In 1943, he returned to the U.S. to train as a B29 flight engineer. Completing his training, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Discharged in October 1945, he returned to Milford and began farming. Next, on October 25, 1947, he married Dorothy (Dot) Olson with whom he, subsequently, had two daughters. Last fall, he and Dot, happily, celebrated their seventieth anniversary.

In 1950, they moved to Ames. Ivan returned to Iowa State, earning a degree in Animal Science in 1952. Next, they moved to Storm Lake where they resided for the next fifty-three years. Ivan worked first for the Buena Vista County Extension Service. Later, he went into the insurance and real estate business, retiring in 1982 from the Commercial Trust & Savings Bank.

Active in the community as a member of Kiwanis and Elks clubs, Ivan served on the Buena Vista County Fair Board and the Methodist Church Board. A social person, he made friends wherever he went. Also known for his quick wit, had an ever-ready supply of (often corny) jokes to share. For many years, he and Dot wintered in Texas and Arizona, enjoying the warm weather, dancing, and meeting new people. They, also, loved traveling to all parts of the U.S. in addition to Canada and Mexico.

An avid golfer and fan of the ISU Cyclones and the Chicago Cubs, Ivan was a life-long learner. He learned to speak Spanish when he was nearly 80, and he volunteered to help immigrants learn to speak English. He embraced technology, learning to use the computer at age 80. In addition, he was, always, expanding his skills, which included blogging in recent years to share experiences from his childhood, the Depression, and his years of military service. A proud veteran, he was thankful for the opportunity to participate in an Honor Flight trip to Washington, DC in 2009.

Surviving Ivan are his wife, Dorothy (Dot); his daughters, Carol (Rob) Thorson, of Ames, and Connie (Bill Dodds) James, of Denver, Colorado; and his grandson, Eric Thorson, of Phoenix, Arizona; as well as seven nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. His devotion to his wife and family was never-ending, and he will be greatly missed.

Memorial services will be held Friday, January 26, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Burial will follow at a later date in the Milford Cemetery. Visitation will take place during the hour before the service at the funeral home. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.

Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes, Storm Lake, Iowa, 2018.

Buena Vista Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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