James Stadtmueller

JAMES STADTMUELLER

Monticello

James Stadtmueller, 86, died Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids, following a brief illness. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello, with private family services on Friday. The Rev. Reed Stockman will officiate at the services. Interment will be in the St. John Cemetery, Monticello, with military honors.

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Joan and Ed Hemphill Hospice at UnityPoint St. Luke's Hospital.

Surviving are four children, Al (Kalinda) and John (Janelle), all of Monticello, Jane (Chuck) Lawrence of Tulsa, Okla., and Ann (Paul) Mills of Madrid; three grandchildren, Kal, Katie and Kurt; his sister, Gloria Ford; and four sisters-in-law, Leona Osterkamp, Marietta Gartland, Clorean Kray and Ruth Kray.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Kevin, in 1970; and his wife of 62 years, Dorothy, in 2015.

James Balster Stadtmueller was born Jan. 13, 1930, at the John McDonald Hospital, Monticello, Iowa. He was the son of Edward and Louise Balster Stadtmueller. Jim attended school at Cass Center north of Anamosa. He started working as a carpenter for Louis Burrack and later for Art Riedel. Jim served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War in the 2nd Armored Division. James Stadtmueller married Dorothy Kray on Jan. 18, 1953, at Anamosa. The couple farmed near Monticello and Jim also did carpentry work. Jim was an innovator in farming, he started custom farming at the age of 15 with a one-row pull type picker, and he built his first four-row planter from two two-row planters.

Jim was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. He served as an elder and trustee as well as Sunday school superintendent. Jim took on the job of digging the graves at St. John Cemetery in 1968 and relinquished that position in 2015.

Memorials may be made to Above and Beyond Hospice and Pinicon Place.