James A. Hilsabeck

James A. Hilsabeck died on the morning of Saturday, March 7th, at the Iowa River Hospice Home. Following cremation, memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 12th, at St. Mary Church. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown. Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Mary Church, Iowa River Hospice or Animal Rescue League. Jim was born on November 13, 1935 to Adelbert L. and Inez M. (Abbey) Hilsabeck in Ferguson, Iowa. He graduated from Marshalltown High School with the Class of 1953. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in June of that year and spent 15 months in Korea with the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine division. In July of 1956 he was married to Frances De Grado and they were the parents of 4 children, Michael, David, Patrick and Ann Marie. They were married for 42 years before she died in 1998. He married Patricia Prochaska of Marshalltown in 2000. Jim joined the Marshalltown Fire Department in February 1962. In July of 1972, he was promoted to Fire Marshal and spent 12 years in that position before being promoted to Chief of the Department in 1984. In 1993 he retired after nearly 32 years with the department. He was a member of St. Mary Parish; a past member of International Association of Firefighters, Fire Marshals Association of North America, International Association of Arson Investigators, International Association of Fire Chiefs and Iowa Paid Fire Chiefs Association. He is survived by his widow, Patricia; children, Michael (Lana) Hilsabeck of Fort Worth, TX., David (Kim) Hilsabeck of Marshalltown, Ann Marie (Skip) Bromstedt of Columbus, Mo., : Step-children Valerie (John) Purcell of College Station, TX., and Amy (Gary) Bennett of Blue Springs, MO. Also surviving are sisters Marilyn Jackson and Charlene Burton; Brother Larry Hilsabeck; and 12 grandchildren. Jim was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Frances; son, Patrick; Half-sisters, Alice and Edythe; Half-brother Delbert M.; Sisters Jeanne Frey, Shirley Keller and brother, Leslie V.