James R. May - 1921-1997

MAY, PHILIP, EWING, HESTER, WATERS, FENCL, SMITH, MORIN, TUCKER

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 7/10/2011 at 16:32:35

SOURCE: Waukon, Iowa WAUKON STANDARD, June 25, 1997
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

James Richard May, age 76, of rural Postville, Iowa, died Thursday, June 19, 1997 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, June 23 at Forest Mills United Methodist Church, rural Postville, Iowa. The Rev. Steve Campbell, Verdon Swenson, and Warner Earth officiated. Burial, with graveside military rites by Waukon Veterans Post, was in the Oakland Cemetery, Waukon, Iowa with arrangements by Martin Funeral Home. Casket bearers were Mark Ewing, Chuck Teeter, Jerry Ewing, Chuck Bloxham, Donald Ewing, Dennis Meyer, Greg Seitz, Bill Smith, and Steve Smith.

James was born February 13, 1921 in Waukon, Iowa the son of John and Eugenia (Philip) May. He attended school at St. Patrick's through tenth grade and obtained a diploma through the GED program. He served in the military from 1940-1945 as a heavy artillery gun crewman with the 81st Field Artillery, Third U.S. Army under the command of Gen George Patton, Jr. Jim saw action in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Battle of the Bulge. Following military service, he returned to northeast Iowa where he married Helen Marie "Tiny" Ewing in Waukon, Iowa July 28, 1945.

Jim worked for the Allamakee County Highway Department, farmed for a time, was a meat grader at Hygrade Meat Packing Plant in Postville, Iowa until the plant closed. He was a real estate agent for Ewing Real Estate and worked at the Waukon Good Samaritan Center. In 1987 Jim and Tiny started working as caretakers for Morton Marr of Dallas, Texas and have continued working there on a part-time basis. He was a member of the Forest Mills UMC, American Legion and the VFW.

He was preceded in death by a son, Ronald May, 2 brothers, Leo May, and Bobby May, and two infant sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; 2 daughters, Sandra "Sam" (Ron) Hester of Waxahachie, Texas and Haley (Ray) Waters of Postville, Iowa; 2 sons, James May of Vass, North Carolina and John May of LaCrosse, Wisconsin; 3 daughters-in-law, Donna May and Pam May of Waukon, Iowa, and Jan May of LaCrosse, Wisconsin; 12 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; 2 brothers, Eugene (Betty) May of Monmouth, Oregon and Jerry May of Corvalis, Oregon, 6 sisters, Marcella Fencl, Mary Smith, and Hazel Morin, all of Corvallis, Oregon, Esther (Ivan) Smith of Postville, Iowa, Joan (Keith) Ewing of Albany, Oregon, and Patty (Howard) Tucker of Waterloo, Iowa.