James Hullinger

James Lee Hullinger, 84, of Mount Ayr died Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, at Clearview Home in Mount Ayr.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at Mount Ayr United Methodist Church with the Rev. Melvin Ammon and the Rev. Edward Shields officiating. Burial will be in Ellston Cemetery with military honors by Ringgold Post No. 172 and Iowa Army Honor Guard. Open visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., in Mount Ayr with family present from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and a Masonic service at 7:30 p.m. Memorials are to American Legion and the public library, both in Mount Ayr. Online condolences may be left at www.armstrongfh.com.

Jim, son of Carl and Ressa (Lovely) Hullinger, was born June 13, 1934, at their home in Ellston. The family moved to Clarinda when Jim was in the ninth grade, where he graduated with the class of 1953. Jim joined the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in March 1961.

After returning home, Jim went back to college at University of Nebraska in Omaha, earning a bachelor’s degree. After graduation, Jim taught speech 100 at the college. Jim earned his doctorate degree in speech communications at University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, and went back to Omaha, Nebraska, to teach; later teaching in Coolidge, Arizona, and then University of Nebraska at Kearney, Nebraska, where he retired from.

On Aug. 16, 2003, Jim married Rosemary Crawford Schlapia.

Jim was active in the Masonic Lodge, American Legion, Ringgold Post No. 172, Shriners, Eastern Star, Sons of American Legion and Mount Ayr United Methodist Church.

Jim is survived by his wife Rosemary of Mount Ayr; stepdaughter Judi (Travis) Shaha and grandsons, Bryce and Brock, all of Mount Ayr; sisters, Betty (Bob) Goff of Spokane, Washington, and Jane (Jim) Lamascus of Milwaukee, Oregon; sisters-in-law, Oralyn Hullinger of Salina, California, and Katharine Hullinger of Ventura, California; brothers and sisters-in-law, Donald (Cham) Crawford, Larry (Marlene) Crawford, Ann Beech, John (Donna) Crawford, Harold (Melynda) Crawford, Bernard (Marla) Crawford and Doris Crawford; Rosemary’s stepchildren, Mark Schlapia, Jean Rezmer, Janis Schuberth and Joan Woods and their families.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; in-laws, William and Catherine Crawford; brothers, Carl Jr. (Betty), Donald (Virginia), Harold and Danny; and nephews, Kendall Crawford and Robert Hullinger.