James Wilson

James (Jim) Wilson, age 87, of Aurora, formerly of Oxford, passed away Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at Memorial Community Care.

A Graveside Service will be held 11:00 A.M., Saturday, February 25th at the Oxford Cemetery.  No Visitation.  Memorials may be made in care of Gideons International. Higby-McQuiston Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: JAMES WILSON

James A. Wilson was born June 14, 1935 in Oxford, Nebraska, the fifth child, to Charles R. and Gladys C. (Whisler) Wilson and passed away at Aurora, Nebraska on February 21, 2023, at the age of 87.

He attended Oxford Public Schools graduating with the class of 1952. 

After high school graduation, Jim attended Kearney State College the school year of 1952-53.  >From the summer of 1953 through the early spring of 1955, he worked on the cement crew that put in the irrigation canal west of Oxford, was employed for short periods working on the completion of the Oxford Methodist Church and the remodeling of the building now occupied by the Oxford Thrift Store.  For one year he was employed at C. A. Swanson’s.

On March 6, 1955, Jim and Janice L. Pfeiffer, the daughter of Elmer and Marie Pfeiffer, were united in marriage at the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oxford.  To this union, two sons were born, Paul James and Gordon Joe. 

Following their marriage, Jim and Jan moved to Wayne, Nebraska, where Jim continued his education during the school year of 1955-56.  On September 21, 1956, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was discharged on February 19, 1960.  For nearly 3 years, he completed an assignment at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico.

In the fall of 1960, Jim enrolled at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln to complete his goal of earning a degree that would qualify him to teach business and physical education classes and coach in Nebraska schools.  He received his Bachelor's Degree from the university in 1963.  In the spring of 1963 he signed a contract for the 1963-64 school year to teach business classes and coach at Thomas County High School in Thedford.  In 1968, he took the position of principal at Johnson-Brock High School the first year of a merger between the two communities.  In 1969, he returned to Thedford to be their superintendent over a three-year period, and during that period he completed the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration graduating in 1973.

For the school year 1972-73, he served as superintendent in the Cody-Kilgore School system, and for one more year, 1973-74, as superintendent for the Hayes Center School system.  From 1974 through the school year 1994-95 he returned to teaching, the career field he enjoyed most, accepting a teaching position for business classes and coaching at Orleans High School.  

In December of 2012, Jim and Jan moved to Aurora from Oxford to meet future needs and to be near family.  Having been members of the Oxford Evangelical Free Church, they soon became members of the Aurora Evangelical Free Church.  Seeking to better know and understand more about God’s plan for his life, church attendance on Sunday was a priority for him and his family attending Evangelical Free Churches in Orleans, Oxford, and Aurora.  Jim and Jan’s desire to leave a Christian legacy has been fulfilled as their son Paul’s family is committed to serving in the Nazarene Church in San Angelo, Texas, and their son Gordon’s family serves in the Monroe Evangelical Free Church west of Aurora.

Jim and Jan celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on March 6, 2015.  Jim looked forward to this date as a marker knowing that it was only by God’s grace, guidance and assistance that it would be reached.

Jim greatly appreciated the love he received from Jan and the support, counsel, assistance, and sacrifices Jan made for him and her family over the years of their marriage.  They both enjoyed being a part of their son’s school activities, life choices, and experiences of employment.  Family pets, dogs, cats, and birds enriched family time.  Going fishing, gardening, making home improvements, and one-day road trips with Jan were activities that Jim enjoyed.  A priority for Jim and Jan in their later years was to spend time with Paul and Gordon’s families. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Charles E. Wilson (wife Joy), Marion Wilson (wife Thelma), Gerald Wilson, sister Florine Hansen (husband Gordon) and brothers-in-law Richard Coffey and J.D Pfeiffer.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Janice Wilson of Aurora; two sons, Paul Wilson (wife Kim) of San Angelo, Texas and Gordon Wilson (wife Amy) of Aurora; sisters-in-law Jo Wilson (husband Gerald) of Erie, Colorado and Marla Coffey (husband Richard) of Central City; grandchildren, Summer Garcia (husband Isaac) of San Angelo TX, Ashley Wilson and Zach Stephenson of Midland, TX, Joel Wilson (wife Cynthia) of The Colony, TX; Allyson Wilson of Elkhorn, NE and Bethany Wilson of Aurora, NE; great-grandchildren, Anthony Wilson, Jameson, Oliver, and Lillianna Garcia of San Angelo, TX; Hudson Stephenson of Midland, TX; Timothy and Titus Wilson of The Colony, TX and other family members and friends.