James Shaw

James Leslie Shaw, 60, was born in Dexter, Iowa, to James Leland and Shirley Louise (Secrest) Shaw on May 18, 1961. He passed from this life on Jan. 16, 2022, surrounded by his family. He started kindergarten in Stuart, Iowa, then the family moved to Osceola. Jim was the Sentinel in FFA and played basketball and football. He graduated from Clarke Community High School in 1979. His family relocated to Murray in 1983.

Jim had given up on ever getting married. He was then in a friend’s wedding and fell in love with one of the bridesmaids. This girl just happened to be living out of state. He married Joyce Lynn Iseminger on March 5, 1988, and to this union four children were born, Elizabeth, Jeremy, Abby and Alex.

Jim farmed with his dad until 2005 when his dad passed. In 1995 Jim started driving a semi for his brother-in-law, Randy. In 1997 he started to work for Big and Small Trucking and in September 2018 he went to work for his boys at Shaw Brothers Trucking.

His Joycie, children and grandchildren were his life; he loved his family. He enjoyed taking his kids to early morning practice and going to all their sporting events, FFA activities, speech contests, plays and musicals. This carried on through his grandchildren never missing anything they participated in.

If you know Jim Shaw, you knew he was the king of the Iowa State Fair. The first Wednesday and Saturday of the fair has been dedicated to him for the last 30 years. He had a specific way to do the Iowa State Fair. One could not just start at one spot and work your way around, lunch was always at the Iowa Pork tent, then onto Little Hands on the Farm. It was a must to squeeze in a Hoppy’s Lemonade and bucket of cookies on the way to see the FFA restored tractor collection. It wasn’t tradition if you didn’t find a good spot to sit and people watch (which may have been Jim’s favorite)

Spending time on the farm was a true passion of Jim’s. If he wasn’t in a semi, he was on the farm. It didn’t matter if he was fixing fence on a 90-degree summer day or bringing cows home in freezing rain. Working hard was what he knew. He set the best example for his children and grandchildren and knew exactly what a husband should be.

Jim left a legacy that most will never match. To know Jim was to love him. It also meant that you would need to develop a sense of humor. Jim loved to joke around and make people laugh. This is probably how most remember Jim, with an ornery grin and some sort of smart comment. His heart was bigger than life and you felt that in his hugs.

He was the rock for his family. There was always less worry when Jim was around. There aren’t words to express how much he will be missed but if you know Jim, then you also know one of his favorite sayings in a time like this is “It’ll be fine” and “its not what ya know, its who ya know.”

Proceeding Jim in death were his parents, grandparents, mother-in-law, brother Steve, and grammy, Evelyn Schrodt.

He leaves to cherish his memory, his loving wife, Joyce; poppy, Harold Schrodt; father-in-law, Earl Iseminger of Altoona, IA; children, Elizabeth (Chad) Nold of Osceola, IA, Jeremy (Tia) Shaw of Murray, IA, Abby (Tyler) Long of Fontanelle, IA, Alex (Kasi) Shaw of Murray, IA, Tristen Shaw of Murray, IA; grandchildren, Colby, Lauren, Madison, Rhett, Whitney, Ella, Emma, Kade, Quentin, baby Long, Sawyer, Emmit, Evelen, and all of his bonus kids; sisters, Sue (Randy) Diehl of Osceola, IA, Linda Redman of Osceola, IA; sister-in-law, Deb Sheets of Osceola, IA; brother-in-law, Matt (Tanya) Michener of Newton, IA; sister-in-law, Barb (Craig) Rurgsegger of Altoona, IA; Maggie (Kevin) McCay of Carlisle, IA; and many nieces and nephews.

Time for celebrating his life will be held at Kale Funeral Home in Osceola, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, at 10:30 am with Pastor Brian McCracken officiating.

The family will gather and remember with friends from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, at Kale Funeral Home.

A live stream of the service will be available at www.kalefuneralhome.com on Jim’s tribute wall beginning at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

Interment will follow the services on Monday in the Murray Cemetery, Murray, Iowa

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to his family for a fitting tribute to be decided later.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.kalefuneralhome.com