James Mills ’49 died Dec. 7.
Mills died Dec. 7. He was born April 6, 1925, to Fred and Mable (Smith) Mills, a Kennewick Centennial family (1904), memorialized as “the Lady of the River” statue on Clover Island. He attended Kennewick High School, where he loved to play basketball and graduated in May of 1943. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was sent to the Army Pilot Program at Gardner Field in Taft, Calif. As the war in Europe was winding down, he was reassigned to the Flight Line as a crew chief; then to Kingman, Ariz., B-17 Gunnery School as an M.P.; and then on to Douglas, Ariz. In his off hours, he loved to play basketball. He was honorably discharged in November 1945. He was recruited by Marv Harshman ’42 to attend Pacific Lutheran College and play basketball. He played three years for Harsh, the last year as undefeated WINCO champions. They maintained a lifelong relationship. It was at PLC where he met and later married Carolyn Severeid ’49. Returning to Kennewick in 1949, he joined his brother-in-law Emerson Eby working on his father’s Horse Heaven dry land wheat farm. Upon his father’s retirement in 1951, he sold his share of the equipment and purchased a 120-acre irrigated farm and 640 acres of dry land. This was the beginning of the J-N-J Angus Ranch, named for the three children, Jay, Nancy and Julie. In 1978, Carolyn was killed in a car accident. In 1980, he met and married Margie Quandt, who had four sons, Kenneth, Chris, Kevin and Kelly. In 1986, they retired from farming, selling the irrigated farm to Pacific Lutheran University. He was always involved in some form of public service, including Soil Conservation Board of Directors, Farm Home Administration Board of Directors, Benton County Boundary Review Board, Benton County Farmer of the Year, Runner-up Cattleman of the Year, Benton County Volunteer Fireman for 25 years, Benton County Fire Commissioner for 16 years and Benton County Historical Society Board. Over the years he loved to play and compete. He loved to play golf. He was a member of Meadow Spring Country Club. Together Jim and Margie hosted a number of golf tournaments enjoyed by all. He loved the outdoors and loved to hunt and fish, especially deer hunting with his son, grandson, and great-grandson. Jim’s father, Fred, and others joined together to build Kennewick First Lutheran Church. It became his life’s passion, as an “A Team Member,” to care for the building and ensure the continuation of the church. As death neared, he spoke of his deep love of the church, family and friends. He was a great father; cherished friend; a fierce, fun competitor who will be remembered by all who knew him. As he said near death, “I have been blessed and have had a good life.”
