James Maxwell SLOAN

SLOAN, SCHALLER, DITTMER, TRUNKHILL, RODEMEYER, CARLSON, SLACK, HANNA, MAXSON, KELCH, DESART

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/22/2010 at 10:55:16

July 31, 1943 -- February 5, 2006

James Maxwell Sloan was born on July 31, 1943, in Kossuth County Hospital, Algona, Iowa, to John Maxwell and Madeline Adeline Schaller Sloan. Jim graduated from Corwith-Wesley High School in 1962. He married Margaret Dittmer on May 16, 1964, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Corwith, Iowa. Jim worked for Elwood’s Locker, Skelly Fertilizer, Snap-On and a short time at International before going to the Corwith Coop. Jim entered the Army on May 7, 1968. He served in El Paso, Texas, and Fort Hood, Texas, where he was a driver for Brigadier General Burke. On May 16, 1969, Jim went as a bodyguard for General Burke to Vietnam. In May of 1970, Jim returned to Algona and was hired by Lueders Construction to help build the Hormel Plant. Jim was the first employee of Hormel Foods, Algona. He worked various jobs inside the plant until his retirement in November, 2001, after working for 31-1/2 years. Jim grew up on a farm southeast of Corwith. He was a farm boy with chores of milking cows and doing field work. Jim loved to play sports in high school and later played on a men’s league slow pitch softball team. He was also an avid fan of Molly’s years of playing sports in high school and her current job of coaching sports. He was on the Kossuth County Sheriff Reserve for several years, was a member of the Local P31 Union where he served on the bargaining committee and was a member of V.F.W. Post #2541. He attended the First United Methodist Church in Algona, where he served as a greeter and usher.

Jim enjoyed gardening and spending time with his sons and friends hunting and fishing. He enjoyed the trips to Squaw Lake, Minnesota and Alaska. Jim also enjoyed the pastime of woodcarving, where he exhibited an elk statue at the Iowa State Fair. He was also an avid Iowa Hawkeye Fan. Jim and Margaret met weekly on Thursday nights with their coffee group at Classic Stop where they enjoyed conversation and good ice cream. Jim also had a saying, “Life’s Simple. Eat. Sleep. Gamble!” Jim was a ‘gentle giant’ and was the son to Margaret’s parents that they never had. Jim and Margaret spent the prior three winters vacationing in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. A place Jim loved! In August of 2003, Jim was stricken with an illness, MSA (Multiple Symptoms Atrophy) due to Agent Orange. Jim gives thanks to William Elbert for getting him involved in the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center.

Left to cherish Jim’s memory are his wife, Margaret; daughter Jennifer Trunkhill and husband Andrew, Humboldt, IA; son Dr. Jason Sloan, San Francisco, CA; son Matthew Sloan, Des Moines, IA; daughter Molly Sloan and future husband Tim Rodemeyer, Emmetsburg, IA; and grandchildren Autumn, Avery, Jessica and Jaime Trunkhill, Humboldt, IA. Also surviving are brothers and sisters, Richard J. Sloan and wife MaryAnn, Simi, CA; Dorothy Carlson and husband Paul, Algona, IA; Robert Sloan and wife Deanna, Corwith, IA; Deanna Slack and husband Jamie, Anchorage, AL; Kimberly Hanna and husband Tim, Lake Mills, IA; Helen Sloan, Corwith IA, Mary Maxson, Delano, CA; Alice Kelch, Corwith, IA; Helen Desart, Lake City IA; and many nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death his parents, Max and Madeline Sloan, brother John in infancy, and parents-in-law, Lawrence and Estella Dittmer.

Visitation:
Thursday, February 9, 2006
3:00 PM until 8:00 PM
Garry-Roberts-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home
218 South Moore Street
Algona, IA

Visitation:
Friday, February 10, 2006
10:00 AM until 11:00 AM
First United Methodist Church
201 East Nebraska Street
Algona, IA

Service:
Friday, February 10, 2006
11:00 AM
First United Methodist Church
201 East Nebraska
Algona, IA

http://www.funeralplan.com/oakcrestfuneralservices/archive?id=60965