SHONING, James S. (1947-2009)

SHONING

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/25/2017 at 12:57:48

James Shelton Shoning
(March 25, 1947 – November 7, 2009)

Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Nov 10, 2009
James Shelton Shoning, 62, of Carlisle, died Saturday at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, Iowa from complications following a brain aneurysm. Jim was born March 25, 1947, in Des Moines to Richard and Doris Shoning. He graduated from North High School in 1965, and attended Northwest Missouri State where he helped found the student-run radio station that still exists to this day. After a year in college, he enlisted in the US Navy, where he served in Morocco, Africa, and Newfoundland, Canada. Jim worked for AT&T as a communications engineer for over 25 years until the Des Moines office closed. He then worked for Wells Fargo until becoming disabled by health problems in 2008. Jim was very active in the community and was a member of the Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years. He was an avid photographer and owned Carlisle Photo, taking pictures for weddings, seniors, and many community and school events. He was a member of the Carlisle Area Historical Society, Telephone Pioneers, and several photography clubs. He loved traveling and dreamed of retiring in Mexico. He even travelled to China to adopt Jordan, his youngest daughter. He loved watching TV, Corvettes, socializing with his weekend crew, the Iowa State Fair, history, good jokes, and he had made it a mission to find the best ribs served in Des Moines. He fought very hard to recover from his aneurysm, travelled as far as Chicago for treatment, and spent the last year of his fight a great distance away from his friends and family. He held his head up, never complained once and kept his wonderful sense of humor through his entire journey. Jim is survived by and will be missed tremendously by his wife, Martha; son Scott (Kelly) Shoning of Ankeny; daughters Liza Shoning (Coleman Young) of Beaverdale and Jordan Shoning of Carlisle; sister Debbie Shoning (Jim Koolhof) of West Des Moines; grandson Zane; as well as aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews and many, many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Doris and Dick Shoning and his grandparents, Jack and Esthel Shelton and Emma and Orrie Shoning. Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 11, at Middle River Friends Church, 4057 S23/Palmyra Rd from 5 to 8 p.m. Services will be on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the same church with both fire department and military honors. Burial will be at Carlisle Cemetery immediately following the service.