OBITUARY: James L. (Jim) North, 1926-2004, Mitchell Co., Iowa
 
[From Mitchell County-Press-News online (Edited); Posted June 23, 2004] 
 
 
 
                           James L. North

Funeral services for James L. North, age 77, of Rockford, Iowa, were
held Saturday, June 19, 2004, at the First United Methodist Church
in Rockford, Iowa. The Reverend Ashok Patet of Greene officiated.
Interment was in the Osage Cemetery in Osage, Iowa.  Military graveside
services were conducted by the Osage American Legion Post 278.

James died Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at the Muse Norris Hospice-Inpatient
Unit in Mason City, Iowa.

James (Jim) Lee North was born July 19, 1926 near Little Cedar, Iowa,
the middle child of S. Martin and Myrna (Cooper) North. He attended
schools near and in Little Cedar and graduated in 1943 from high
school in Osage. He was baptized at the First United Methodist Church
in Osage on Feb. 21, 1948. He spent nearly three years in the Army,
attaining the rank of staff sergeant. Much of his service time was
spent in the Pacific area. Upon his honorable discharge he attended
Hamilton Business College in Mason City for a time. Over the years
Jim held a variety of jobs, including dime store work, plumber's
helper, gas station attendant, "gandy dancer," Watkins dealer,
insurance salesman, office worker at Borden's, Winnebago employee
and of the longest duration grocery work and employed at several
elevators.

An especially memorable time for him was his years as a square dance
caller, calling primarily for the Rural Young People's group in
Mitchell County. He always enjoyed re-telling his time of accompanying
a group of "his" square dancers to the International Square Dance
Festival in Chicago. Jim had numerous health problems over the years,
the most devastating was his final encounter with Alzheimer's.

Jim married a school teacher, Dorothy Nelson, at the Methodist Church
in Rockford on June 10, 1951, after meeting her at an October barn
dance where he called the dance and the Meitner Band played. Prior
to their marriage, Jim lived on farms in the Little Cedar area, as
well as urban Osage and Mason City. He and Dorothy had a marriage-on-
the-move, living in Osage, Waterloo, Mason City, New Hampton,
Plainfield, and rural Marble Rock, and in the Rockford area. In
addition to the years-ago square dance calling, Jim liked to tell
stories, read (especially westerns), watch TV and play cards. Earlier
he enjoyed roller skating, bowling and dancing.

Preceding Jim in death were his parents and one brother, Martin Jr.

His survivors include his wife Dorothy North of Rockford and six
children, Paula (Tom) Squier of Charles City; Joel (Greti) North
of Urbandale; Tim (Kelly) North of Shakopee, Minnesota; Ron (Cindy)
North of Slater; Julie (John) Jesse of Roland; Bob North of Des
Moines; 15 grandchildren: Eric, Brian, and Bethany Squier; Adam
and Taji North; Jason Hall; Jenny Hamand; Julia and Isabella North;
Nathan and Ryan Jesse; Samantha and Joshua North and Claire and
Collin North; one great-grandson, Jadyn North; sister, Arlene
(Rod) Crain of Crane Lake, Minn.; sister-in-law, Doris North of
Osage; brother-in-law, Jim Nelson of Des Moines, numerous cousins
and friends from over the years.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage, Iowa, was in charge of arrangements.
 
 
     Copyright 2004, K. L. Kittleson