Jim Routh

Jim Routh, 60, of Mount Ayr died Saturday, April 14, 2018, at his home in Mount Ayr.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 18, at United Church of Diagonal with burial in Diagonal Cemetery. Open visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, at the church with family present from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. A memorial fund has been established in his name to be decided later. Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., in Mount Ayr is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.armstrongfh.com.

James Jeffrey “Big Jim” Routh, son of Francis Aaron and Velda Eleanor (Chandler) Routh, was born Oct. 12, 1957. Jim graduated from Diagonal High School in 1976. He continued his education at DMACC for two years, and received a degree as a diesel mechanic.

He worked for Barker Implement in Lenox for three years before opening Routh Diesel shop in Diagonal. The business was destroyed by fire four years later, and Jim went to work for Boyd Larsen of Clearfield and worked for him for three years. Jim did quarry work for Max Clark out of Leon and Logan. During these years, Jim went to school to become a real estate agent. He sold for John Henry his first year as an agent. The second year, he started selling houses and farm land for Moberg Iowa Realty in Creston. He was named the top affiliate agent in 2006, earning him recognition as a leader for the Iowa Realty statewide network. He was top salesman in the state of Iowa four straight years with a total of nine years as top Iowa Realty sales person.

After Jim’s father died in 1988, Jim farmed the home place on shares with his mother. In 2000, Velda died and Jim took over the farming of Routh Farms.

On April 3, 2018, Jim married Sharon England after spending 30 years together.

Jim served on the Ringgold County Supportive Services Board for 17-plus years, serving as president of the board several years. He served on Ringgold County Group Home Board for many years, and was a member of Pheasants Forever and a past member of Diagonal and Clearfield Lions Club.

Jim is survived by his wife Sharon Routh of Mount Ayr; stepdaughters, Shawna (Neil) Orr of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and Michelle (Neal) Wingfield of Chariton; grandchildren, Tyan (Cody) Keller of Afton, Taylen Abarr of Mount Ayr, Jabe Burton of Mount Ayr, Cori (Angel) Meza of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and Kassidy Wingfield of Chariton; great-granddaughter Riley Keller of Afton; sisters, Kathleen Koether of McGregor, Julie Routh of Osceola and Joan Routh of Mount Ayr; sister-in-law Jessie Meusburger of Truesdale; brother-in-law Bob Schilling of Diagonal; many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and both sets of grandparents.