His funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Alliance with Pastor Gary Hashley officiating. Interment will follow at Alliance City Cemetery. Visitation will be an hour prior the service at the church. Visitation will be at Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel Tuesday from 3-5 pm.
Memorials have been established to the First Presbyterian Church (PO Box 396, Alliance, NE 69301); Legacy of the Plains Museum (2930 Old Oregon Trail Road, Gering, NE 69341) or NRC Tree Fund (2100 Circle Dr, Scottsbluff, NE 69361). Online condolences may be left at www.dugankramer.com. Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Jim was born on December 20, 1934 in Alliance, Nebraska to Andrew F and Edna M (Wiltsey) Irwin. He received his early education in the Alliance public schools, graduating from Alliance High School. He attended Colorado State University and graduated with BS in Agriculture in 1957.
Jim grew up in the city, helping his father in the greenhouses, and later in the fields as his father invested in farm ground. He loved being a farmer and his heart was in the land. He was a true conservationist steward and was always interested in any new farming practices that would save water or enhance the soil naturally. If asked if he had a hobby he always answered “watching things grow.”
Jim married Jacqueline Stull on May 27, 1956 at the First Methodist Church in Alliance and made their home in the Alliance area for 58 years. They moved to the Northfield Retirement Community (The Residency) in 2014.
Jim was appointed by the Governor of Nebraska to be on the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resource District, and served on that board for 41 years before retiring. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for 75 years and served as Trustee and Elder and loved to sing in the choir, he was a member of the Alliance Rotary Club and A Paul Harris Fellow. He had a strong faith and found great joy in serving his church and community.
He is survived by his loving wife Jacci; brothers-in-law and sisters –in-law Marian Dalton (Boise, ID), David and Marilyn Stull (Mountain View, AR), Richard Stull and Karen Siegfried (Bridgeport, NE) and Rick and Cheryl Rawle (Mountain Home, AR) and 3 generations of nieces and nephews.
Jim is preceded in death by his parents, infant brother, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Jack Dalton, Dorothy Beal Stull, Donald and Harriett Stull, niece Sandra Sautter and nephew Patrick Bronn.
