James "Jim" Louis Messimer

James Louis Messimer, 96, passed away on May 18, 2015 at the Heritage Home in Preston, Idaho.  He was born March 25, 1919, in Strawn, Texas the fifth child born to James Emmett and Clara Pearl Guest Messimer.  He attended school in Strawn, Texas graduating from high school on May 30, 1936.  He moved to Wyoming in 1938 and worked for the Forest Service acquiring the skills of a very good carpenter.

 He moved to Salt Lake City in 1940 and was helping build homes in the Sugar House area when the draft board from Palo Pinto County, Texas called his number 32 to report for the draft.  He decided to enlist for duty in Utah instead of returning to Texas, and was assigned to the Army Air Corps on April 23, 1941.  He served over 15 years of active and reserve duty.  His tour of duty took him to 20 Air Force bases in the States and 13 Islands in the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Hawaii.

James met Anita Hildebrandt in 1942 while he was stationed at the Air Base in Pueblo, Colorado.  They were well acquainted and Anita corresponded with Jim while he spent about two years in the Southwest Pacific.  He was discharged from active duty and automatically assigned to the Army Air Corps Reserve duty.  Jim and Anita were married in Lamar, Colorado on March 24, 1946.  They both finished their college degrees and were teachers in the Natrona County School system in Casper, Wyoming.  Anita suffered several open-heart operations and died from heart failure on Jan. 28, 1974 and was buried in the Memorial Gardens, Casper, Wyoming.  They had 28 wonderful years together and loved working with children.

James had to take early retirement because of a bad stroke and retired to a small trailer park in Arizona named “Paradise Palms Trailer Resort”.  After the death of his father, people started calling him James L. “Jim” to shorten his name.  Jim met LaVon Miriam VanNoy after a “family home evening”.  The night lighting was very poor so Jim was asked to escort LaVon back to her mobile home.  They started attending the temple together after several weeks of talking and dating there was talk of a wedding.  They were married on Feb. 14, 1985 and had a wonderful marriage and travelled to many places:  Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Midwest-Mississippi area, Nauvoo and many other church sites and national parks.  They had several more trips planned when LaVon was stricken with cancer and died on Dec. 16, 1995 and was buried in Thayne, Wyoming.

Jim was active in his church callings as an Assistant to the High Priest group and always as a home teacher.  His professional leadership was past president of:  Wyoming Education Association.; Casper Classroom Teachers and the Mills-Mt. View Lions Club.  He was a life member of the Wyoming Retired Teachers Association, the Wyoming Industrial Arts Assocation, Phi Delta Kappa, a life member of NEA in Washington D.C. and the Masonic Lodge- Laramie Lodge No. 3.

He is survived by two step-daughters, Lorna (Donley) Linford of Evanston, Wyoming; Jolene (Timothy) Hunt of St. Johns, Arizona; a step daughter-in-law, Carien VanNoy of Chandler, Arizona; and by 12 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and by many nieces and nephews.  He was also preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Anita Hildenbrandt, one brother, four sisters and a step-son, LaDon VanNoy.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Webb Funeral Home, 1005 South 800 East, Preston, Idaho with President Hank Povey conducting.  Friends may call Thursday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.  Military rites and interment will be held on Friday, May 29^th in the Wyoming Memorial Gardens in Casper, Wyoming.  Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.webbmortuary.com