James E. Haskell

I am so sorry to hear of Jim and Pat's passing. I had lost touch with them during the pandemic, as I stopped attending bee meetings, where I usually saw them. Beekeeping has many benefits, one of which is meeting great people like the Haskells. I will miss them both.

On behalf of the EAS Master Beekeepers, please accept heartfelt condolences. So many of us have great memories of both your mom and your dad. Jim was so active a volunteer during conferences that most of us thought he was a Master Beekeeper, though he never took the exam. He and your mother were wonderful people and will be missed by many, many people in the beekeeping community.

Jim and Pat taught the beekeeping class I took in 2005, and they helped me prepare for the EAS Master Beekeeper exam at their kitchen table. I'm just one of the many hundreds they influenced.

So sorry to have lost both Jim and Pat. They were my mentors while I learned beekeeping and remained my friends for many years afterwards. They were kind and always willing to help. I spent several weekends with them in Lurray assisting with the work of beekeeping and learning from these lovely people. I will miss them both.

Greetings, We are sad to receive this news. We love Jim and have always found him an inspiration. Both Pat and Jim are well loved in our home. They have been in our prayers for years. We often called on them to check in and always inquired as to their health and needs. They were polite but fiercely independent, never wanting to burden others and always seeking to be seen as friends and mentors. During Covid we stopped just dropping by as they always insisted that we come in and...

My condolences to the Haskell family. I was one of the many people that Jim hired to work at Ag Cooperative Service. Jim has a humble and down-to-earth man but also very astute in the ways of DC. He was a great boss and mentor to many of us. I will remember his passion for all things Ford Mustang.

I worked with Jim for many years, and I always remember his humor. In fact, once he gave me a book called Sick Puppy by Carl Hiasson. I loved it and Hiasson became one of my favorite authors. He was also a great sounding board and I usually felt better after talking to him. RIP, Jim.

Jim was such a genuinely kind person. He worked behind the scenes at USDA to do the right thing, be it for rural cooperatives, for fellow employees, or for the nascent co-op development centers. Jim was certainly Nebraska proud! Every time I spoke with him, he made sure to tell me about his Midwest roots. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Jim was indeed a great friend to the nation's farmers and ag co-ops, as well as to all of us who worked with him at USDA. He was certainly a huge help to me over the many years I worked with him -- especially in the years after USDA began to drain resources from the co-op program. Thanks for everything Jim, and know that you made a difference through your dedication, hard work and mentorship! -- Dan Campbell, Annandale, VA