James Karl Cable (1941-2018)

CABLE, PUTSCH, WILT, OLSON, GARLAND, PORTER, FELIX

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.

James Karl Cable
June 4, 1941 - July 10, 2018

James (Jim) K. Cable 77, of Ames passed away July 10, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames. Funeral Service will be 10:00 am Saturday, July 14, at Collegiate United Methodist Church in Ames. Visitation will be 5-7 pm Friday, July 13, at Adams Funeral Home in Ames. Burial will be 3:00 pm July 14, in the Hudson Cemetery in Hudson, Iowa.

Jim Cable, the son of Earl and Helen Cable was born on June 4, 1941 at the St. Francis Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. He attended grade school in Hudson, Iowa and graduated from Dike High School in the Spring of 1959. He received a BSCE in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in 1964 and a MSCE in Transportation from Iowa State University in 1976. In 1994 he completed a PhD in Transportation Engineering from the University of Illinois.

After his initial graduation from ISU, Jim worked for the Iowa DOT in Waterloo until the Army decided to use his degree at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the Republic of Viet Nam. Returning to the USA, Jim put his efforts to work for the Iowa DOT in Des Moines and then on to the Reith-Riley Construction Co in Indiana on interstate highway construction. His work for the Iowa DOT ended on I-35 construction from the Minn line to US-20 and into planning in the Sioux City, District Office and Office of Advanced Planning in Ames. His last move was to the CCEE Dept at ISU for a 20 year teaching, research and extension position. His research and his love shall always remain close to a bulldozer or slip form paver. Improving the concrete pavement construction process was his task in life and he lived it to the fullest.

Jim married Jeanne A. Putsch on June 21, 1964 in Blue Mound, Illinois. Together they raised two great sons, Matt and Steve. Jeanne died of cancer in 1995.

In 1999 Jim married Elizabeth A. Wilt on May 22, 1999 in Ames, Iowa. This action added Melissa, Dustin and Joe Wilt to the family.

Jim loved the outdoors and enjoyed trapshooting and reloading all types of guns. He could sit for hours and watch wildlife at our home or in the woods and never pull the trigger.

Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Wilt-Cable of Ames; children, Matthew J. Cable (Val Campero) of Ankeny, IA; Stephen K. Cable (Courtney) of Riverside, IA; grandchildren Silas Cable and Theda Cable of Riverside, IA; step children Melissa Wilt of Oak Park, Ill; Dustin Wilt of Plymouth, MN; Joseph (Erikka) Wilt of Minnetonka, MN; step grandchildren Lars and Soren Olson of Oak Park, Ill, Hugh Wilt of Minnetonka, MN; Seth, Nate and Matthew Garland of Ankeny, IA; sisters, Cathy (Jim) Porter of Urbandale, Iowa and Patricia(Steve) Felix of Sioux City, Iowa along with nieces and other relatives and friends. Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife and brother, Edward Cable.

The family requests no flowers, Memorials may be directed to the Bliss Cancer Center, 1111 Duff Ave, Ames, 50010 or the Israel Family Hospice House, 400 South Dakota Ave, Iowa 50014.

Who Was Jim Cable?

Jim Cable, the son of Earl and Helen Cable was born on June 4, 1941 at the St. Francis Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa, the son of a cattle and hog farmer. A silage/manure fork and a number 12 aluminum shovel were his tools. He attended school in rural Hudson and Dike High. Being the son of a one room school teacher he went to ISU and after five years achieved a BSCE in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in 1964. Convincing the FHWA that he was a minority, he got an MSCE in Transportation from ISU in 1976 in one school year. In 1994 he completed a PhD in Transportation Engineering from the University of Illinois.

From the time Jim started grade school and observed pipeline construction first hand, he sought to be a Civil Engineer. After ISU graduation, Jim worked for the Iowa DOT in Waterloo until the Army decided to use his degree at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the Republic of Viet Nam.

Civilian life put Jims’ CE efforts to work for the Iowa DOT in Des Moines and then on to the Reith-Riley Construction Co in Indiana on interstate construction and back to the Iowa DOT on I-35 construction from the Minn. line to US-20 and a target for farmer shotguns and handguns.
The MS degree widened his view of transportation work to Sioux City and Ames for the DOT at a time of railroad abandonments and modal plans were underway.

His mother would have been happy to see him teaching at ISU for 20 years. He loved to see his students grow in engineering and maturity.
Research and extension work were his continuing connection with the “real” world. His research and his love shall always remain close to a bulldozer or slipform paver. Improving the concrete pavement construction process was his task in life and he lived it to the fullest.
Jeanne Cable followed Jim through 31 years of married life and 21 physical moves. Together they raised two great sons, Matt and Steve.

Elizabeth Wilt-Cable and her children gave Jim a whole new look on life and a larger family base. The blended family brought a whole new set of joys.

Jim loved the outdoors and enjoyed trapshooting and reloading all types of guns. He could sit for hours and watch wildlife at our home or in the woods and never pull the trigger.

He was a simple man, sometimes called a loner or loose cannon, but a teacher throughout his life. He ended his career helping others make the move from life to death through his work at Hospice. He completed what he wanted to in life and left this world a better place to live.

Funeral Service
Saturday 14 Jul
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Collegiate United Methodist Church
2622 Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa 50014

Graveside
Saturday 14 Jul
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Hudson Cemetery
Eldora Rd
Hudson, IA 50643

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