James E. "Jim" Willits 1940 - 2020
HONEYMAN, WILLITS, SWANGER
Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 3/9/2020 at 17:21:18
Sioux City Journal
11 February 2020Mapleton, Iowa
James E. "Jim" Willits, 79, of Mapleton, passed away Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Lawton Presbyterian Church in Lawton, Iowa. Burial will be in the cemetery in Climbing Hill, Iowa. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Waterbury Funeral Service of Sioux City.
Jim was born on Aug. 10, 1940, in Aledo, Ill., to Tom and Iris (Honeyman) Willits. In 1958, he graduated from East High School in Sioux City. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1963. In the Air Force, he served as an aircraft mechanic while doing a four-year tour in Frankfurt, Germany. Upon return, he attended Morningside College, graduating in 1967 with a degree in education and German studies.
In 1962, Jim married Leola Swanger. To this union three children were born. After living in Germany for a year, they returned to Sioux City before moving to Bronson, Iowa, to raise their family. They later divorced. Jim worked in sales at National Chemsearch and later at Lawson Products for many years before retiring in 2006. In retirement, Jim settled in Mapleton.
Jim was a member of Lawton Presbyterian Church and served as an elder. He also belonged to the American Legion Post 576. Jim was an avid reader of western novels, and enjoyed family trips, fishing, collecting knives and the love of his family dogs. Also, very important to him was that his children knew how to change a tire and check the oil on the cars they drove.
Those left to honor his memory are his children, Terry (Bob) Buckley of Omaha, Christine (Darrell) Trujillo of Phoenix, Ariz., and Jim (Meredyth) Willits of Chicago; brother, Steve (KeeAnn) Mulfinger of Hornick, Iowa; sister, Jana Meece of Aledo; longtime companion, Michelle O'Connell of Mapleton; grandchildren, Colin, Allison, Abby, Alexander, Cody, Skylar, Emersyn, and Brock; and many nieces and nephews.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Charles Mulfinger; stepmother, Janet Willits; sister, Helen Mays; and brother, Mike Blackman.
Our heartfelt thanks to the Pleasant View Care Center staff in Whiting, Iowa, for their patience, love and kindness.
Monona Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen