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From late 1969 until his death in 1982, Jim and Sally resided on the family property - Harper Hill - outside of Ankeny, IA. The time was spent on the usual retirement and grown family activities as well as Jim's odd jobs he had from time to time. The flying days were at an end. As well, Jim's involvement with the Quiet Birdmen organization was over. He did not often talk to people of the life before becoming a country gentleman. But, Sally made sure images of his many aviation exploits adorned their den walls. One very prominent feature of the home was (and still is) a steam locomotive bell that he acquired during the California years. It is just a reminder that Jim was not so much an experienced aviator, but a forever frustrated railroad man. The bell rings to this day.

One of those jobs that Jim had in the retirement years was as a school bus driver for the Saydel School District. He ran the bus like an airliner and this bus was apparently a fun one for the kids to ride. While Jim was doing this, he gave an interview in the early 70's to the community paper where he makes some interesting comments about his flying days.

Jim speaks of things for which there are no flight log records currently known - such as flying for the French in Viet Nam. While the "lost" year that Jim spent in Thailand after Air Burma and before joining the AURI, for example, makes this possible (i.e. before the final French defeat at Dien Bien Phu), right now this and other things cannot be verified. Jim did not seem to be given to bragging - in fact, it was just the opposite - so, it is suspected that there is more to the story of this pilot that is yet to be uncovered.

Whatever the truth is, Jim did not often recount to his family the stories behind the stories of the air and we here today are left to speculate about the minor references to aviation activities for which there is no proof. This is very much in keeping with Jim's style where one of his small entries in a flight log about an incident actually turned out to be a significant event worthy of expanded examination. Whatever the case, Jim was now settled in the country in the most permanent home he and Sally had ever known. And there he stayed until his death, on his birthday on September 18, 1982 - at the age of 72 - from the rare blood disorder known as Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. Per Jim's wishes, his ashes were scattered on the graves of Aunt Ethel and Uncle Chris in the Berwick, IA cemetery.

Another great one had flown West.

Sally still lives in the Des Moines area and is as sharp and determined as ever. She is now married to Roy Ives - a Naval WWII veteran who was stationed aboard the light cruiser USS Detroit - a "four stacker" as Roy calls it. The Detroit was one of only two ships present at the beginning of the war, berthed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 - and at the end, anchored off the bow of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945 at the final surrender of Japan. Roy was there at the end.

Jim's daughters are doing well. Joanne, Swiss educated and a veteran of the airline industry as an attendant, married the New York Rangers NHL legend and holder of the 1972 Calder Trophy, Steve Vickers, and is the mother of three of Jim and Sally's grandchildren. Joanne & Steve have retired and now split their time between Canada and Florida.

Roberta, who was born smiling, is the mother of two grandchildren. She recently retired after a 34 year career as an educator and still resides with her husband on the homestead that Jim knew so well from when he was a little boy to his final days, Harper Hill.