James E. Sellers

Des Moines

James E. Sellers, 94, passed away from this life on Saturday, September 14, 2013 at Calvin Community in Des Moines.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel in West Des Moines with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, Iowa.

James was born the first of three children to William Thomas Sellers and Janet (Cowan) Sellers on December 29, 1918 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was a 1936 graduate of East High School. He began his career at Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. and later worked for the Iowa Inspection Bureau. James served in World War II as a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army with the 89th Inf. Div. in Europe under General Patton. When he returned from the service he began his employment with The Boston Insurance Group in Des Moines as a state agent. On May 12, 1950 he married the love of his life, Lela Hayes. Shortly thereafter he was called to serve in the Korean Conflict and was stationed at Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, California. Lela was able to join him there. He attended Drake University to receive his CPCU. He was in the first class to receive their CPCU’s at Drake. He was transferred to the Boston Insurance Group office in Minneapolis in 1956 as Regional Manager. From Minneapolis he moved to Illinois and was employed by Mutual Reinsurance Bureau of Illinois until his retirement in 1980 as Senior Vice-President.

He was a member of the Masons and Za-Ga-Zig Shrine for over 30 years. He was a member of the American Legion Baldwin-Patterson Post 274 and Grand View Lutheran Church. Jim was an avid reader of the Wall Street Journal and other financial magazines and he also enjoyed fishing. Jim and Lela liked to travel especially to the 89th Inf. Div. reunions.

James is survived by his wife Lela of 63 years. Also surviving are nephews, David (Maggie) Woodward of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allan (Susan) Woodward of Gainesville, Florida, and John (Amy Simmons) Hayes of Des Moines; nieces, Linda (Jim) Baker, Cynthia Hayes, niece by friendship, Patty LePage, all of Des Moines and Nancy (Fred) Anderson, and Debra (Mark) Weeks of Altoona; also several great and great-great nieces and nephews, all of Des Moines. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Guy Woodward; brother, Tom Sellers; in-laws, Joseph & Josephine Hayes; sister–in-law, Helen Hayes; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, G. Robert (Virginia) Hayes and Russell (Lucille) Hayes.

Memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa or the American Heart Association.

"I am not going to say good-bye because that is too permanent, and in this changing world certainly our paths will cross …. I will just say “so long.”