James "Jim" Anton Jessen
December 8, 1927 — January 21, 2016
James “Jim” Anton Jessen, 88, of Marion passed away January 21, 2016 at the Hiawatha Care Center. Visitation will be held Sunday January 24, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Murdoch Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Marion, Iowa. Funeral services will be at 3:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will take place at Martin Creek Cemetery on Tuesday, January 26, 2016.
James Anton Jessen was born on December 8, 1927, on a farm outside Garwin, Iowa to Mildred (Babor) and Peter Jessen. He was the oldest of four children and learned the importance of hard work early-on. He attended a one-room country school initially and was active in track and basketball for Garwin throughout high school. After graduation in 1946, he attended William Penn College in Oskaloosa, while also working as a beekeeper, carpenter and farm-hand to make ends-meet. He was a starting lineman for the William Penn football team.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1949 where he served on multiple medical ships as medical corpsman during the Korean War. He crossed the Atlantic ten times and visited 16 countries. He received the Naval Unit Commendation medal and was discharged in February 1953 as a Petty Officer 2nd Class.
He completed his college education at the University of Iowa, where he met and married Mildred R. Lamm. They were married on June 11, 1955.
Jim taught science at Franklin Jr. High from 1959 through his retirement in 1989. Ahead of that he taught science at a junior college in Estherville, Iowa. He farmed east of Marion and was active in local politics with the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and the First Presbyterian Church of Marion.
He is preceded in death by his son, Howard Dean Jessen (1967); his sister Doris Halverson; his brother Jay Jessen; and his parents.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred Jessen; sister, Betty Taylor (Arkansas); daughters, Cheryl (Paul) McAvoy (Columbus, Indiana) and Cynthia (Brad) Roehr (Cedar Rapids); sons, Jeffrey Jessen (Grafton, Iowa) and James (Carla) Jessen (Cedar Rapids); and nine grandchildren, Katherine McAvoy, Elizabeth McAvoy, Rebecca McAvoy, Kristen Roehr, Alisa Roehr, Jharred (Kelsey) Millonig, Alex Millonig, Brandon Jessen, Brianna Jessen, Kelsey Jessen and Linsey Jessen.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Kiwanis Club of Marion or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research.
James Anton Jessen was born on December 8, 1927, on a farm outside Garwin, Iowa to Mildred (Babor) and Peter Jessen. He was the oldest of four children and learned the importance of hard work early-on. He attended a one-room country school initially and was active in track and basketball for Garwin throughout high school. After graduation in 1946, he attended William Penn College in Oskaloosa, while also working as a beekeeper, carpenter and farm-hand to make ends-meet. He was a starting lineman for the William Penn football team.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1949 where he served on multiple medical ships as medical corpsman during the Korean War. He crossed the Atlantic ten times and visited 16 countries. He received the Naval Unit Commendation medal and was discharged in February 1953 as a Petty Officer 2nd Class.
He completed his college education at the University of Iowa, where he met and married Mildred R. Lamm. They were married on June 11, 1955.
Jim taught science at Franklin Jr. High from 1959 through his retirement in 1989. Ahead of that he taught science at a junior college in Estherville, Iowa. He farmed east of Marion and was active in local politics with the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and the First Presbyterian Church of Marion.
He is preceded in death by his son, Howard Dean Jessen (1967); his sister Doris Halverson; his brother Jay Jessen; and his parents.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred Jessen; sister, Betty Taylor (Arkansas); daughters, Cheryl (Paul) McAvoy (Columbus, Indiana) and Cynthia (Brad) Roehr (Cedar Rapids); sons, Jeffrey Jessen (Grafton, Iowa) and James (Carla) Jessen (Cedar Rapids); and nine grandchildren, Katherine McAvoy, Elizabeth McAvoy, Rebecca McAvoy, Kristen Roehr, Alisa Roehr, Jharred (Kelsey) Millonig, Alex Millonig, Brandon Jessen, Brianna Jessen, Kelsey Jessen and Linsey Jessen.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Kiwanis Club of Marion or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research.
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