James Eason Mount Ayr

James Eason, 82, of Mount Ayr died Sept. 17, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the United Methodist Church in Mount Ayr. Sandy and Tony Crandell will officiate. Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery southwest of Diagonal. Military rites at the graveside will be conducted by Ringgold Post No. 172 and Iowa Honor Guard Unit. Open visitation will be noon to 8 p.m. Friday with family present 6 to 8 pm at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., Mount Ayr. A memorial fund has been established to the James Eason Scholarship Fund. Online condolences may be left at www.watsonarmstrongfh.com.

James "Jim" Eason, son of Beth (Beymer) and Paul James Eason, was born Jan. 19, 1930, in Diagonal.

In 1934, they moved to the farm west of Mount Ayr.

Jim graduated from Mount Ayr High School in 1948.

On July 20, 1952, Jim married Nina Ann Morrison in the newly finished RLDS church in Mount Ayr.

Jim served in the Air Force as a radar mechanic from 1951 to 1955.

In addition to farming, Jim worked as a mail carrier at Mount Ayr Post Office from Oct. 1, 1962, to 1976, when he became a post master in Afton.

In 1980, he was assigned post master of Mount Ayr Post Office, retiring Jan. 1, 1999.

Jim was a member of the Community of Christ Church, Ringgold Post No. 172 American Legion and Lions Club, all in Mount Ayr.

Jim is survived by his wife Nina Eason of Mount Ayr; sons, Steven James (wife Theresa) Eason of Clarinda and Michael Alvin (wife Lori) Eason of Lamoni; daughter Susan Eason of Kansas City, Mo.; daughter-in-law Mary Eason of Mount Ayr; grandchildren, Dr. Amanda Eason (fiancé Dr. Kyle Flessner) of Oakdale, Calif., Sara (husband Dr. Ashton) Hecox of Gothenburg, Neb., Kelli Ann Eason of Kansas City, Mo., Mitch (wife Michelle) Holmes of Clarinda, Stephanie (husband Matt) Frazer of Golden, Colo., Elizabeth, Jennifer, David and Paul Eason, all of Lamoni, Jade Diann Eason of Kansas City, Mo., James (wife Elizabeth) Eason of Sun Tan Valley, Ariz., Christopher Eason of Apache Junction, Ariz., Cory Beaman of Creston and Kyle Beaman of Mount Ayr; great-grandchildren, Tyler and Kyle, Hannah, Lauren and Isabelle, Dutch Curtis Eason and Heaven Penrod; brother Clair "Skip" (wife Donna) Eason of Waukee; brother-in-law Rex Morrison of Winterset; and sisters-in-law, Phyllis Smith of Vernal, Utah, and Ardis Lanzotta and Dean Johnson of Altoona.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and son Curtis Dean Eason July 31, 2003.