James Wilson

James Wilson

Monmouth - JAMES DALE WILSON

October 25, 1925 - April 11, 2021

Jim Wilson, 95, of Airlie, Oregon, passed away Sunday afternoon, April 11, 2021, in the Good Samaritan Hospital, Corvallis, Oregon with family members present. He was born on October 25, 1925 to S.C & Carrie (Ritter) Wilson on the family farm, northwest of Airlie; the seventh child of a family of nine children. He grew to adulthood on the farm; attending Montgomery Elementary School, three years at Airlie High School, but because of World War II graduated in the Class of 1942 at Monmouth High School.

He enrolled at Willamette University in the Fall of 1942, at 16 years of age. He attended Willamette for a year, while living with his brother Hazel & Harlan Wilson's family and first child, helping with the chores of a working dairy, and keeping up with his studies. He took off a couple years to work in the woods to earn tuition money when the US Army drafted him. While in the Army he visited New York City, before being shipped to Korea to help rebuild that country after War II. He never regretted serving the two years in the Army, because of the experiences and being able to operate large equipment. After returning from the Army, he purchased his farm in 1947 from Riley Mathany and was never again without a couple of earth-moving-dozers. He was a farmer who loved and took care of his soil; and a forester/logger who managed his timber the way it should be managed. He was an honorable man of great integrity, ethics and moral fiber, and a work ethic which never stopped.

Jim lived in Independence with his sister's family, Nita & Tom Hering and three sons to finish his education at Willamette University. His younger brother Bob was also living there to attend his senior year at Independence High School. In 1951, after Jim graduated from Willamette, he married the girl next door, Juanita Reed, who had graduated from Central High School that June.

The young couple lived a year in Independence until they purchased a portion of the barracks which were released from Camp Adair / Adair Village. They moved the four-room portion onto the Airlie farm and moved in as soon as electricity was brought to the farm. Jim worked in logging at various locations for others, for a short time with his brothers, Paul and Bob; and eventually for himself. In 1957, their daughter Terri joined the family. Jim took employment with the Oregon State Highway Department in 1958. Except for a few months when they joined him in Milwaukie while he was surveying for the I-205 freeway, Nita & Terri stayed on the farm to take care of the sheep and Black Angus cattle. Jim transferred his civil service employment to Oregon State University in 1961 and was there until he retired in 1988.

In 1987, he was asked to join the Polk County Museum Commission to work toward building and establishing a Museum in the County. He was already a life member of the Polk County Historical Society. By 1991, the Commission had established a Museum in Dallas; and with the merger of the historical society and the commission in 1995, the Polk County Museum at Rickreall was constructed.

Jim helped and supported his wife's various Women for Agriculture and Monmouth Garden Club projects and ventures. He was involved in the Polk County Livestock Association, assisting the educational side of the group, and stepped up for many years as Superintendent of the Timber & Grains department at the Polk County Fair. He was inducted into the Diamond Pioneer group at Oregon State University in 2007, because of his contribution and involvement of agriculture serving on the Tri-County and Mid-Willamette Extension Beef Advisory committees for 20 years.

Jim was active and determined during his entire 95-year life, becoming a full-time farmer/logger after retiring from OSU. He was working on the farm cleaning up from the February ice storm and had slowed down only for about three weeks before his death.

He is survived by his daughter, Terri (Jerry) Siner, Airlie, OR; his grandchildren Jeff Siner, Maple Valley, WA; and Sarah Siner, West Hollywood, CA; Nita Wilson, and his brother Bob (Virdie) Wilson, Monmouth, OR; and sister Juanita Hering, Corvallis, OR. He also leaves numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and neighbors.

A private interment will be at City View Cemetery, Salem, Oregon. Dallas Mortuary Tribute Center is caring for the family. www.dallastribute.com