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James 'Jim' McGarrahan
JAMES C. "JIM" MCGARRAHAN
Cedar Rapids
James C. "Jim" McGarrahan, 83, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, at
St. Luke's Hospital after complications from surgery. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at New Covenant Bible Church, 3090 N. Center Point Rd., Cedar Rapids, IA 52411. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday prior to the service at New Covenant Bible Church. Private inurnment at Cedar Memorial will take place later. Pastor Bob Westfall will officiate.
Jim is survived by his wife, Sally Gibson McGarrahan; children, James G. McGarrahan (LaRue Kimble) of Manassas, Va., and Dawn Wiebe (Eric Wiebe) of Palatine, Ill.; brother, John Richard McGarrahan of Colorado Springs; a sister, Kathlyn Gay of New Port Richey, Fla.; stepchildren, Barry Gibson (Meg Negro) of Cedar Rapids and Terry Gibson (Jan Mosbarger) of Des Moines; grandchildren, Sam, Jack and Sydney Wiebe of Palatine, Alicia Gibson Rivera of Cedar Rapids, Blaine Gibson of Cedar Rapids, Grayson Gibson of Denver, Colo., Gina Gibson of Carroll and Garrett Gibson of Des Moines; and great-grandchildren, Roman Rivera and Eben Rivera.
He was preceded in death by both parents; a brother, Kenneth Charles McGarrahan Jr. of Zion, Ill.; and his first wife, Nancy Barnes McGarrahan of Marion.
Jim was born Jan. 4, 1936, in Zion, Ill., the son of Kenneth Charles and Beatrice (Anderson) McGarrahan. He graduated from Zion-Benton Township High School in Zion and went on to undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill.; Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.; Moody Bible Institute in Chicago; and Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., in August 1961.
Jim married the late Nancy Barnes of Abingdon, Va. Nancy passed away in September 1980. He later married Sally Reitz Gibson on July 18, 1982, in Marion.
Jim served as a business advisor with General Business Services. Jim and Sally were members of New Covenant Bible Church, where Jim was widely regarded as a man of strong faith.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to New Covenant Church. Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.
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