James Franklin Adkins

ADKINS, DAIB, VANDERHEIDEN

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 3/29/2006 at 10:08:16

Winterset Madisonian
December 4, 2002

James Adkins, Dexter

James Franklin Adkins, 72, of Dexter died of respiratory failure Nov. 24, 2002, at Kavanagh House in West Des Moines following an extended illness.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Zion Lutheran Church, Dexter, with the Rev. Karl Hollibaugh officiating. Burial was at Dexter Cemetery.

Jim Adkins was born Jan. 10, 1930 in Dexter to James Casper and Antoinette Adkins. He attended Dexter High School and graduated from Kemper Military Academy in Boonville, Mo., in 1947. He also graduated from Drake University in Des Moines in 1951. In December of 1951, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving until December 1955. On Dec. 25, 1949, he married Margaret Daib. Jim was co-owner of the Adkins Cash Food Store in Dexter. He was involved in the Boy Scouts, Community Club, school boards, church boards, library board, Community Apartment Board and 5 X 80 Original Board. He had been a Blood Bank director and weather service reporter and was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church. He also received the Governor's Volunteer Award for his 20 years of volunteer work at the Dexter Elementary School.

He was preceded in death by his father.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret, of Dexter; his mother, Antoinette, of Dexter; three sons, Kurt Adkins (wife Donna) of Des Moines, Michael Adkins of Greenfield and Christopher Adkins (wife Jerri Lynn) of rural Bear Creek; a daughter, Anne Vanderheiden (husband Chuck) of Dexter; a brother, Richard Adkins (wife Linda) of Dexter; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Kuhn Funeral Homes of Dexter and Earlham.