Jim and I knew each other mainly through St. Paul Church. Our parents were very active on the Church council together. We were in Sunday school and other church events from the time we were very small children.
He married Lee Ann French and I was shocked when she attended a reunion and told us he had died. He is rememberd fondly.
Jim and I were classmates at Belle Valley. I spent almost every Saturday at Jim's farm. We took turns riding his horse and just having fun. I remember at one of the reunions they had everyone go to a certain corner based upon the previous schools they had attended. It was good seeing Jim once again. Rest in peace Jim.
I am so sorry to find out about Jim's passing. We started to hang out together my senior year in high school. Ispent a lot of time at his parent's farm. We went to the University of Missouri together, We were in the same Fraternity and spent our share of time getting drunk and doing stupid things like all Frat members do.. Jim was my BEST MAN at Carol and my wedding. He was a good friend and is greatly missed. Rest in peace my friend.
I barely knew Jim in high school. Of course, I was always looking for tall guys and he was pretty short until he turned 16 and grew 11 inches in one year. We both went to JC our first year of college. We started dating in early 1964. I am pretty sure we both thought it was a temporary thing. In the fall of 1964 Jim left for Rolla, MO and I left for Iowa City, IA. At the end of the following summer we began to think the relationship was not so temporary. We married in September 1967 after I finished at the University of Iowa in Nursing. Jim graduated from Missouri School of Mines (now UMR) in chemical engineering in January 1968. We moved to the Detroit area where Jim took a job at BASF Chemicals, which launched our corporate gypsy life. Our oldest daughter, Shelly, was born in Wyandotte, MI in 1969. Our second daughter, Lesley, was born in Baton Rouge, LA in 1971 and Kate, our third was born in NJ in 1977. It seemed like all we had to do was have a child and Jim would be transferred in no time! We had the idea that we should bloom where we were planted---so enjoyed the adventure of it all! Jim steadily moved up in the company over the years---ending his career at BASF as Manager of Works Engineering at the Geismar, LA plant. Jim was a bit of a late bloomer and did not make a big splash in high school. He used to tell people that we did go to the same school but, Lee Ann ran for office and he ran for the bus! I did hear a lot about the Black Knights, which he totally enjoyed. Mr. Carrothers, our counselor at BTHS, told Jim's parents that he should not attempt college prep courses at all, that he was just not college material. That was before Merle Guthrie got hold of him! She recognized that he had a brain for math underneath all that bravado. Another teacher who influenced him was Bessie Dugan. Mr. Edwards at JC, who taught chemistry, had a major impact on Jim's decision to make an attempt at college. Jim was the first person in his family to go to college and graduate. Two high school friends Jim particularly valued were Terry Severit and Walt Warner. In college Jim was a Pi Kappa Alpha---we made friends through the fraternity that have been our brothers forever! Over the years Jim tried golf (too impatient), dirt biking (fun), hunting (too tender hearted) and fishing in the Atchafalaya Spillway in south Louisiana. He eventually realized his childhood dream of having horses. In the early 80's we bought property in Ascension Parish (Louisiana) where Jim built a barn with an apartment above it, kind of like a camp. He bred and raised paint horses and established Medicine Hat Stables. The horses became a big part of our lives. Eventually, when the girls all finished high school, we sold our house in Baton Rouge and built near the stable. Unfortunately we were only in the house two years when Jim died unexpectedly from a heart attack at 53 in March 1999. It was the most shocking experience in my life. I believe that Jim died in a good place emotionally and spiritually. He had given his two oldest daughters away and when Kate married in 2004 she walked herself down the aisle---telling me that if her dad couldn't do it, she would do it herself! Jim was one of those larger than life people who should have lived in the mid 1800's during the cowboy era instead of the mid 1900's. Quite a life in 53 years! Jim and I both thought of Belleville as "home". Our families both lived there---and our high school years were there. The Thomas family farm is still on Greenmount Lane up the hill from the old Belle Valley School. My family lived on South Pennsylvania Avenue. We visited Belleville many, many times over the years---can you believe 50 Years!?!?
My twin Freddy and I were friends of Jimmy's at Belle Valley School. We lived in Dawn Heights not far from the Thomas farm, and sometimes Jimmy's Dad 'Duke' would let me ride on the tractor when he was working the fields. Fred and I always loved to go up there because there was so much to see and do. And sometimes we'd get to ride his pony, Apache. Not to mention how nice Duke and his wife were to us kids. And........I probably had a bit of a crush on his older sis, Carol......
I recall when he got a coronet for the school band..I was jealous because all I got was a clarinet, and the coronet was really cool. I think we had a party there to celebrate 8th grade graduation..I kept a signature book for decades from that party (maybe it's still around somewhere).
Our 8th grade teacher at Belle Valley was Mr. Muskopf, an older gent who was formerly the Principal, but slated for retirement...we may have been his last class. He was a small, thin, balding man with sharp Germanic features and an accent to match. He wore small gold frame spectacles. And he wore a shiny black suit with a white shirt and a bow tie--every day. He would actually conduct recitations in class, with a hapless student sitting front and center answering questions. Incorrect or delayed answers were rewarded with a gentle tap with a yardstick....it wasn't until years later I realized we'd all been exposed to a 1800's model of classroom recitation. I think we all loved him and our greatest fear was to disappoint him.
We moved from Belleville after 8th grade, but kept up with many friends from that time in our lives. Freddy passed in 1994, as have many others from our class of 13 at Belle Valley. But there remains those memories.
Sandra Mueller (Mathis)
Jim and I knew each other mainly through St. Paul Church. Our parents were very active on the Church council together. We were in Sunday school and other church events from the time we were very small children.
He married Lee Ann French and I was shocked when she attended a reunion and told us he had died. He is rememberd fondly.
David Busekrus
Jim and I were classmates at Belle Valley. I spent almost every Saturday at Jim's farm. We took turns riding his horse and just having fun. I remember at one of the reunions they had everyone go to a certain corner based upon the previous schools they had attended. It was good seeing Jim once again. Rest in peace Jim.
Terry Severit
I am so sorry to find out about Jim's passing. We started to hang out together my senior year in high school. Ispent a lot of time at his parent's farm. We went to the University of Missouri together, We were in the same Fraternity and spent our share of time getting drunk and doing stupid things like all Frat members do.. Jim was my BEST MAN at Carol and my wedding. He was a good friend and is greatly missed. Rest in peace my friend.
Lee Ann French (Thomas)
I barely knew Jim in high school. Of course, I was always looking for tall guys and he was pretty short until he turned 16 and grew 11 inches in one year. We both went to JC our first year of college. We started dating in early 1964. I am pretty sure we both thought it was a temporary thing. In the fall of 1964 Jim left for Rolla, MO and I left for Iowa City, IA. At the end of the following summer we began to think the relationship was not so temporary. We married in September 1967 after I finished at the University of Iowa in Nursing. Jim graduated from Missouri School of Mines (now UMR) in chemical engineering in January 1968. We moved to the Detroit area where Jim took a job at BASF Chemicals, which launched our corporate gypsy life. Our oldest daughter, Shelly, was born in Wyandotte, MI in 1969. Our second daughter, Lesley, was born in Baton Rouge, LA in 1971 and Kate, our third was born in NJ in 1977. It seemed like all we had to do was have a child and Jim would be transferred in no time! We had the idea that we should bloom where we were planted---so enjoyed the adventure of it all! Jim steadily moved up in the company over the years---ending his career at BASF as Manager of Works Engineering at the Geismar, LA plant. Jim was a bit of a late bloomer and did not make a big splash in high school. He used to tell people that we did go to the same school but, Lee Ann ran for office and he ran for the bus! I did hear a lot about the Black Knights, which he totally enjoyed. Mr. Carrothers, our counselor at BTHS, told Jim's parents that he should not attempt college prep courses at all, that he was just not college material. That was before Merle Guthrie got hold of him! She recognized that he had a brain for math underneath all that bravado. Another teacher who influenced him was Bessie Dugan. Mr. Edwards at JC, who taught chemistry, had a major impact on Jim's decision to make an attempt at college. Jim was the first person in his family to go to college and graduate. Two high school friends Jim particularly valued were Terry Severit and Walt Warner. In college Jim was a Pi Kappa Alpha---we made friends through the fraternity that have been our brothers forever! Over the years Jim tried golf (too impatient), dirt biking (fun), hunting (too tender hearted) and fishing in the Atchafalaya Spillway in south Louisiana. He eventually realized his childhood dream of having horses. In the early 80's we bought property in Ascension Parish (Louisiana) where Jim built a barn with an apartment above it, kind of like a camp. He bred and raised paint horses and established Medicine Hat Stables. The horses became a big part of our lives. Eventually, when the girls all finished high school, we sold our house in Baton Rouge and built near the stable. Unfortunately we were only in the house two years when Jim died unexpectedly from a heart attack at 53 in March 1999. It was the most shocking experience in my life. I believe that Jim died in a good place emotionally and spiritually. He had given his two oldest daughters away and when Kate married in 2004 she walked herself down the aisle---telling me that if her dad couldn't do it, she would do it herself! Jim was one of those larger than life people who should have lived in the mid 1800's during the cowboy era instead of the mid 1900's. Quite a life in 53 years! Jim and I both thought of Belleville as "home". Our families both lived there---and our high school years were there. The Thomas family farm is still on Greenmount Lane up the hill from the old Belle Valley School. My family lived on South Pennsylvania Avenue. We visited Belleville many, many times over the years---can you believe 50 Years!?!?
Pictures on my profile page---Lee Ann French
Cederick Lindskog
My twin Freddy and I were friends of Jimmy's at Belle Valley School. We lived in Dawn Heights not far from the Thomas farm, and sometimes Jimmy's Dad 'Duke' would let me ride on the tractor when he was working the fields. Fred and I always loved to go up there because there was so much to see and do. And sometimes we'd get to ride his pony, Apache. Not to mention how nice Duke and his wife were to us kids. And........I probably had a bit of a crush on his older sis, Carol......
I recall when he got a coronet for the school band..I was jealous because all I got was a clarinet, and the coronet was really cool. I think we had a party there to celebrate 8th grade graduation..I kept a signature book for decades from that party (maybe it's still around somewhere).
Our 8th grade teacher at Belle Valley was Mr. Muskopf, an older gent who was formerly the Principal, but slated for retirement...we may have been his last class. He was a small, thin, balding man with sharp Germanic features and an accent to match. He wore small gold frame spectacles. And he wore a shiny black suit with a white shirt and a bow tie--every day. He would actually conduct recitations in class, with a hapless student sitting front and center answering questions. Incorrect or delayed answers were rewarded with a gentle tap with a yardstick....it wasn't until years later I realized we'd all been exposed to a 1800's model of classroom recitation. I think we all loved him and our greatest fear was to disappoint him.
We moved from Belleville after 8th grade, but kept up with many friends from that time in our lives. Freddy passed in 1994, as have many others from our class of 13 at Belle Valley. But there remains those memories.