James Ramsey

James “Jim” Ramsey, age 82 of Marshalltown and formerly of Eldora, Iowa, passed away on the afternoon of January 27, 2026 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown with his family at his side.

Funeral services for Jim will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 beginning at 2:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. A visitation will be held one hour prior to services. Attendees are encouraged to wear casual attire. A private family burial will take place at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Jim’s name may be directed to his family for a later designation. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

James was born on June 14, 1943 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the only son born to Russell and Shirley Sanders. He was later adopted by Richard Ramsey. Jim attended school in Des Moines and later graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1966.

On June 5, 1965 he was united in marriage to Annabelle Kadner. Jim enlisted in both the United States Navy and the United States Army where he served honorably for over 20 years. Jim and Annabelle raised five children, Doug, Brenda, Laura, Sara and Rachel from their home in Eldora, Iowa. Jim worked for Ritchie Industries, Inc. in Conrad, Iowa for numerous years before becoming a welder for Donco Air Products, where he eventually retired. Jim decided that being fully retired was not something that he wanted, so he began doing private security part time in his early retirement years at Harconia (Hardin County) Speedway in the grandstand and also for Quaker Security for various businesses during their after-hour times.

Outside of work, he remained busy participating in many activities in the Eldora and Marshalltown area. He was a member of the Rifle Association, Legends of Guardsman, American Red Cross, the Marshalltown Coliseum, the Moose Lodge and participated in civil war reenactments. He was a dedicated member of the Hardin County E-Squad for over 20 years. He always had a soft spot for his animals, enjoyed geocaching and logging and tracking the dollar bills he got online.

Those left to remember and cherish his memory are his wife, Annabelle Ramsey of Marshalltown; his children, Doug Ramsey of Marshalltown, Brenda (Kevin) Blome of Hubbard, Laura (Rodolfo) Mondragon of Marshalltown, Sara (Moises) Garcia of Marshalltown and Rachel (Manuel) Ramirez of Marshalltown; 26 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren with four more on the way; siblings, Janice (Lloyd) Deaton and John Sanders; his furry friend Charlie; and longtime friend of over 50 years, Lyle Jeske.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Russell Sanders, Shirley Ramsey, Richard Ramsey and Roberta Sanders; great-grandson, Pablo Vargas Garcia; his brother-in-law, Robert “Bobby” Kadner; his father and mother-in-law, Frank and Joan Kadner; and his four-legged furry companion, Millie.

The family wishes to thank Accura Healthcare of Marshalltown as well as Iowa River Hospice for the exceptional care given to Jim