Jimmie (Jim) R. Darnell, Jr., 92, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at Heritage Estates in Gering. Visitation will be held from 1 to 4 PM on Sunday, June 20th at Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel. His funeral will be held at 10 AM on Monday, June 21st at Harvest Valley Church in Scottsbluff with Pastor Curt Holzworth officiating. The family requests casual attire. The service will be livestreamed on the Harvest Valley Church facebook page. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Scottsbluff. Memorials may be given in Jim’s memory to Harvest Valley Church or the Mitchell Volunteer Fire Department. Online condolences may be left by visiting Jim’s Tribute page at www.dugankramer.com
Jim was born October 16, 1928 at Lynch, Nebraska to Jim Darnell, Sr. and Hazel V. (Ross) Darnell. He graduated from Liberty High School in Morrill in 1946. Jim was united in marriage to Phyllis M. Klepper on July 23, 1948 at Morrill, Nebraska. The couple farmed north of Morrill for a few years, before moving to their present farm near Mitchell.
Jim enjoyed spending time with family, playing horseshoes, working Sudoku puzzles, their dogs, reading, and visiting. He was elected to serve on the Pathfinder Irrigation District Board and severed for 15 years. He especially enjoyed his time delivering donuts and pop for Seedex Seed to the farmers during beet harvest. Jim and Phyllis shared the gift of music ministry for several years at Golden Living Center and Heritage Estates. The couple loved to travel and spent several years enjoying trips in their motorhome.
Jim is survived by son Jim III (Calleen) Darnell of Scottsbluff; daughters Carol (Ted) Tucker of Ashland, NE, Jan (Russ) Gompert of Mitchell, Christy Rickard of Laramie, WY, and Debbie Thompson of Aurora, NE; 15 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Eva Lindsay of Greeley, CO; several nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Jim was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, in-laws James and Ella Klepper and son-in-law Ron Thompson, Jr.