James E. Minninger

JAMES E. MINNINGER

Madison, Ala.

James E. Minninger, 75, of Madison, Ala., and formerly of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Dec. 17, 2021. Cremation services have taken place.

Jim is survived by his wife of 53 years, Tamara Minninger; children, Tyne Benesek (husband Burt Benesek) of St. Charles, Mo., Danielle Minninger of St. Louis, Mo., and Kim Dyball (husband Kevin Dyball) of Wyoming, Iowa; and grandchildren, Tyne and Burt's children, Emma Benesek and Kaitlyn Benesek, and Kim's daughter, Rebecca Miller; one brother, John Minninger; and five sisters, Terri Anton (Hermann), Nancy Stenerson, Karla Brecke, Karen Davies and Charlotte Jones (Dennis).

He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Marian Minninger.

Born July 15, 1946, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jim graduated from Jefferson High School in 1964, and attained Bachelor's and Master's degrees in business administration and logistics management from Chaminade University and Florida Institute of Technology, respectively.

He served as an Army helicopter (Chinook) pilot during the Vietnam War, earning a Bronze Star among other accolades. He also received a Bell Pilot Safety Award in 2009 for 7,000 hours of accident-free flight hours. James served honorably until retiring from the military in 1992 as a Chief Warrant Officer-4. He continued his work upon retirement from the Army.

Jim always had an affinity for cars and, in his younger years, could be found hitting the drag strip at Neita Raceway (now Cedar Falls Raceway) and bringing home an occasional first place trophy or helping other car enthusiasts when working at Mr. G's. During retirement, his hobby changed from the ground to the air, and on any given day he could be found remotely piloting his collection of replica airplanes. Early in retirement, Jim and his wife, Tammie, enjoyed cruises and other international travel, and spending holidays and birthdays with their daughters and granddaughters in the St. Louis, Mo., area.