Earlier this year on January 13, 2023, we celebrated the 101st birthday of Jim, a military veteran and a special member of our Home Helpers family. Just days later, he passed away. We’re creating this blog to memorialize him on our website.
Jim was a proud U.S. Army veteran. During his time in the Army, he was a tail gunner. His job was to “sit in the back of the plane and shoot at the enemy,” a job at which he was "scared every day." Jim became a prisoner of war (POW) at Stalag 17 in Austria, Germany, where he was imprisoned from October 10th, 1943, until May 8th, 1945. One of his buddies at the prison camp kept a journal with drawings created by him and his buddies that were later made into a book! That buddy then sent a copy to all of his friends, and Jim still has that book to this day. It is one of his favorite treasures.
Jim happily reminisced about his life when chatting with us on his birthday. He was very proud of the first car he purchased in 1939 when living in Denver, CO: a Green Dodge Desoto! When Jim got out of the Army, he started selling typewriters. However, as he explains, the government had later taken all of the typewriters and the adding machines, which left him with nothing to sell. Then he moved on to work for General Foods in 1950 as a salesperson for Maxwell House Coffee. He thought very fondly about that time of his life with the company cars he had to drive. He was also able to buy a house on a lake with a boat and send all of his children to college.
Jim moved from Arkansas with his first wife to Florida in 1989. He bought a trailer in West Winds Village in Bradenton for $39,000. It was in West Winds Village where he met his current wife, Marj, while she was walking to her car. He asked her out to dinner, and it was a done deal! They married a year later.
At 101 years young, Jim continued to live a happy life with Marj until he passed away shortly after his birthday. He is survived by Marj as well as 2 sons and 2 daughters, all of whom are in their late 60s and early 70s.
HOME HELPERS OF BRADENTON
Home Helpers of Bradenton is one of the region's leading home care franchises specializing in comprehensive services for seniors. Home Helpers' sole mission is to make life easier for clients and their families. Based in Bradenton, Florida, the company serves all of Manatee County, including the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Palmetto, and Parrish. For more information or to request a free in-home care assessment, contact our office at (941) 499-5946 or visit our website at www.homehelpershomecare.com/bradenton.
