James Maxwell
James Maxwell
March 10, 1925 – September 05, 2011
North Oaks, Minnesota and formerly of Grinnell
Visitation: one hour prior to service time September 09, 2011 at Smith Funeral Home, Grinnell
Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m. Friday September 09, 2011 at Smith Funeral Home, Grinnell
Interment: following funeral service September 09, 2011 at Hazelwood Cemetery, Grinnell
James Eugene Maxwell, 86, of North Oaks, Minnesota and formerly of Grinnell, died September 5, 2011, at Regence Medical Center in St. Paul. Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 9, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Rev. Nick Adam, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, officiating. Pallbearers will be Rachel Bratek, Bryan and Stephanie McGrath, and Ashley, Jennifer and Scott Terpstra. Burial with military rites will be in Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to service time at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Navy League of the United States, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
James Eugene Maxwell was the son of Emmet and Charlotte Malloy Maxwell. He was born March 10, 1925 in Chicago, IL. He had an older brother Emmet and younger brother Edward, both now deceased. Jim was a 1943 graduate from Emerson High School in Gary, Indiana. On July 14, 1943, Jim entered the United States Army to serve with the 44th Infantry Division in the European Theatre of France and Germany. He was awarded four battle stars and the Bronze Star for bringing another soldier back to cover through enemy fire and also for covering the return of the patrol with his fire power. He was also awarded the good conduct medal and was honorably discharged from the Army in November of 1945. After the war, Jim entered Drake University where he met his future wife, Florence Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa. After graduation they were married on November 27, 1950, and had 60 years together until Flo’s death in April of this year. During their years together, Jim and Flo had homes and friends in many places including several Chicago suburbs, Ridgewood, New Jersey, North Oaks, Minnesota and Hilton Head, South Carolina, as well as Grinnell, Iowa.
Jim started in sales with American Chain and Cable in Chicago. Always a great salesman, as well as very astute in financial matters, Jim ultimately blended his sales abilities with his investment knowledge and worked with several firms including Moody’s Investment Service, a rating company in New York, where he served as VP. From there he returned to the Midwest where he specialized as an investment counselor. Jim worked first with Prudential Bache and then moved to Shearson American Express in St Paul where he was named VP.
After his retirement, Jim and Flo moved to Hilton Head, where Jim continued to use his investment expertise with Prudential Bache. He also enjoyed his involvement with Rotary Club, the Navy League and was a prime mover in organizing a Hospice program for Hilton Head. There he had more time to enjoy his love of golf and also enjoy his skill as a great host and story teller. He truly enjoyed being with people and was quick to take the lead in helping someone with their special project.
Jim is survived by two daughters, Catherine (Michael) Bratek of Apple Valley, Minnesota and Karen Terpstra of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; his four grandchildren include Karen’s children, Scott (Ashley) Terpstra and Jennifer Terpstra and Cathy and Mike’s children, Stephanie (Bryan) McGrath, and Rachel Bratek. He is also survived by a brother-in-law Addison (Marion) Jones and a sister-in-law Esther (Charles) Bethel, both of Grinnell, as well as several nieces and nephews.
