James Kimm Mayhew

James Kimm Mayhew

Indianola

James Kimm Mayhew, of Indianola, died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. He was 96 years old.

Jim was born December 20, 1928 in Newhall, Iowa, the first child of Rex O. Mayhew and Berenice D. (Kimm) Mayhew. He grew up in Blairstown, Iowa, working at his grandparents’ general store, playing baseball, and ascending through the ranks of Boy Scouts, eventually achieving Eagle Scout. His companion in those years was Grandpa Gus, who took Jim hunting and fishing, taught him how to fix things, and was generous with ice cream servings. Those experiences shaped the person Jim would become.

After graduating from Blairstown High School in 1946, Jim enrolled at Grinnell College, then transferred to Upper Iowa University.

A dance at the Coliseum Ballroom in Oelwein changed Jim’s life forever when he met Patricia Louise Martin, who had a “heart as big as all outdoors.” They married on Oct. 7, 1950, and boarded a train that night for Laramie, Wyo., so Jim could attend graduate school at the University of Wyoming.

Jim’s love of the outdoors and his attention to detail flourished in graduate school, where he earned a Master of Science degree. Following graduation, he and Pat moved back to the Midwest and grew their family with three daughters.

After a brief stint with the Illinois Department of Conservation, Jim was hired by the Iowa Conservation Commission in 1953. He spent nearly 40 years with the ICC, which would become the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, rising through the ranks until he was named chief of fisheries in 1977, a position he held until he retired in 1992. Jim undertook dozens of research projects, oversaw creation of the Fish Iowa education program, and led a revision of the book “Iowa Fish and Fishing.” In 1991, he was named Iowa Conservationist of the Year by the Iowa Wildlife Federation. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of fish. As Jim put it, “It was not only a job, it was a way of life.”

In retirement, Jim and Pat’s interests and imagination flourished. They traced family history from Martha’s Vineyard to Iowa, followed the path of Lewis and Clark’s expedition to the Pacific Ocean, and stayed active by hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. Jim and Pat shared interests in gardening, birdwatching, reading and music – particularly classical and jazz. They enjoyed camping, and made frequent trips to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. One of their favorite places was the north shore of Lake Superior, particularly Grand Marais, Minn.

Jim was a perennially curious person, and he took a scientific approach to almost everything he encountered: genealogy research, his study of Native American culture, and the daily journals he kept for more than 20 years. He wrote reviews of every book he read, and logged the miles he walked and biked, reporting to family how each year’s mileage compared to the last (he hit an all-time high in 1995 when he hiked and biked 4,600 miles).

His greatest gift to his family was a pair of memoirs, which he titled “Recollections from a Life of Ordinary Living.” As he wrote, while his life had been “an incredible journey,” it “probably is not much different from most people.” Those who knew Jim understand that he was anything but ordinary.

Jim is survived by his wife of nearly 75 years, Patricia Mayhew, of Indianola, Iowa; his sister, Joyce Turpin of Bloomington, Ind.,; three daughters, Renee (Dean) Konrad of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Vicky (David) Edwards of Chariton, Iowa, and Toni (Steve) Irving of Chariton, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Sara Konrad (Tony) Baranowski, Peter (Hope) Konrad, Becky (Kurt) Needles, Katie (Jarod) Young, Amy (Jansen ) Stuart, Nick Irving (Oren Shtayermman), and Andy Irving (Lindsay Harris); and 14 great-grandchildren: Sam and Lucy Baranowski, Vivien and Zoe Konrad, Maggie Needles (Zack Chiri), Olivia Young, Cy and Lundy Stuart, Everett and Emery Shtayermman, and Kinnick, Mason, Dudley and Harper Irving; brother-in-law Aldin Durfey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; sister-in-law Carolyn Mayhew of Jasonville, Ind.,; as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Rex O. Mayhew and Berenice D. (Kimm) Mayhew-Kanke; in-laws Walter and Evylin Martin; sister Mary (Mayhew) Durfey and brother John Mayhew; brother-in-law Dan Turpin; brother- and sister-in-law Walter and Yvonne (Vonnie) Martin; and Berenice’s second husband, Ronald Kanke.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, Oct. 12 from 1-3 p.m. at the Warren County Izaak Walton League, 16383 118th Ave., Indianola, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to Jim’s family in care of Vicky Edwards, 417 S. Eighth St., Chariton, IA 50049. A donation will be made in Jim’s honor to the DNR’s Fish & Wildlife Trust Fund.

The family would like to extend sincere thanks to the staff of Vintage Hills and Suncrest Hospice in Indianola for their care and services to Jim during his last two years in the memory care unit.