James C. Bacon 1926-2002

BACON, BUYERS, KEELEY

Posted By: Lori Clark (email)
Date: 10/23/2002 at 08:04:59

Gay & Ciha Funeral & Cremation Service– Iowa City – (319) 338-1132
2720 Muscatine Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Iowa City Press-Citizen –Picture-paid
Cedar Rapids Gazette-Picture-Paid
Oelwein Paper-

Iowa City Dateline:

James C. Bacon, age 76 of 803 Roosevelt Street, Iowa City died peacefully in his sleep, Monday, October 21, 2002 at his home.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon, Thursday, October 24, 2002 at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with Lee Briggeman officiating. Graveside services will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Oelwein, Iowa. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m., Thursday until services at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in his name. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City is caring for James’s family and his services.

Mr. Bacon was born March 20, 1926 in Oelwein, the son of Henry W. and Jessamine (Buyers) Bacon. He graduated from Hazleton High School, Upper Iowa University with a chemistry degree, and later from the University of Iowa with a MA degree in Art History. He married Mary Lucille Keeley July 20, 1951 in Hazelton. For a number of years he worked as an evaluation engineer for Chicago-Northwestern Railroad in Oelwein. During the time when he was doing his post-graduate work, he taught graduate school at Northeastern University in Lexington, Mass. He returned to Iowa City where after his graduation he was associated with the Physical Plant of the University of Iowa involved with doing time studies, for which his work became used at many universities across the country.

James was a member of the First Baptist Church in Iowa City, and the Masonic Lodge. He was raised on a farm in Fayette County, and the love of the land never left him. He and his family owned a farm near Morse, where he enjoyed so much of his life. Jim also was a painter, doing many paintings, one being displayed in the White House during the 1960’s. During the campus demonstrations of the early 1970’s at the University of Iowa when damage was done to artwork displayed at the university, Jim was commissioned to restore this work. He enjoyed this and was recognized for his work.

His family includes his daughter, Mary S. Bacon of West Branch, and his son, James C. Bacon II of Iowa City; a nephew James D. Flower of Columbia, MO.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Mary Lucille on October 24, 1980, and a sister.