James "Jim" Lynn Jelsma

James “Jim” Lynn Jelsma, died peacefully at the age of ninety-one and passed on to his heavenly home with Jesus on July 3, 2019. Funeral services for Jim will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 11, 2019 at the Calvary Baptist Church in Union, Iowa.  Public visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the services begin.  Memorial contributions may be directed in Jim’s name to his family, which will be later designated elsewhere.  For further information or to send a condolence, please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call (641) 844-1234.  Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Jim and his family. Jim was born to the late Herman Oscar Jelsma and Virginia “Mae” Smith in Ferguson, Iowa on November 7, 1927.  He grew up on a farm near Bangor, Iowa.  At about eleven years of age he made the decision to accept Christ as his personal Savior, a decision which would set the course for his life.  In 1944 he graduated from Union Community School.  After signing up to serve in the United States Army he married his childhood sweetheart, Constance Shaver, on November 24, 1945.  As a T-4 Chief Radar Operator he completed his service in the army, July 1947 in Fort Bliss, Texas. Jim and his wife lived their remaining years in Union, Iowa where they raised six children.  Jim was a charter member of Calvary Baptist Church in Union, Iowa.  He was a spiritual man and served as a deacon, trustee and Sunday school teacher.  He worked at Lennox Industries in Marshalltown, Iowa for 41 years.  While raising his children, he enjoyed taking them to Colorado several summers visiting his brother Stan’s family and camping in the mountains.  He also enjoyed going with his family to Family Camp in Clear Lake, Iowa and in later years to Grandparent’s Camp.  He and Connie also enjoyed traveling to places like Hawaii, Michigan, Florida, Minnesota, a tour to Branson, and a cruise to the Bahamas.   Retirement years followed, enjoying fun times with family and friends, playing games, Kiwanis, walking three miles daily, bird watching, enjoying southern gospel music and his favorite interest, cars.  He lived a full life, including the Honor Flight in 2010 to Washington, DC for serving in WWII, which meant so much to him.   Jim is survived by his wife, Connie; his sons Paul (Jeannie) Jelsma of Story City, IA, Timothy (Janae) Jelsma of Ankeny, IA, David (Karin) Jelsma of Lowell, MI; his daughters Brenda (Tim) Gogerty of Hubbard, IA, Carmen (Dennis) Gogerty of New Providence, IA; son-in-law Roger (Pat) Holeman of Cedar Falls, IA; 13 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; a brother Stanley Jelsma of Lakewood, CO. He is preceded in death by his parents, daughter Linda Jelsma Holeman, three brothers: Waldo, Gene, and Dallas Jelsma and one sister Arlene Jelsma Boeke.