James "Jim" Maneely

James passed away peacefully at home on February 13, 2020, surrounded by his family. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on February 28, 2020, at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel. James “Jim” or “Jimmy” was born March 22, 1924, to William and Ethel Maneely in Los Angeles, CA.In 1929, when he was 5, the family moved to Great Falls, MT.James grew up on the west side with his brother, Alec, sister, Phyllis, and mother, Ethel. His father passed away the year they moved to Great Falls. Jim attended Franklin Elementary and went to Great Falls High School, graduating in 1942. He was a talented hockey player whose GFHS team went undefeated. Practicing on the Sun or Missouri rivers back then was not uncommon.His love for golf started at a young age.He started as a caddy at the Meadowlark County Club in 1936, caddying for some of Montana’s best players. He was an excellent golfer, and later in life, won the Shell No-Pest State Golf Tournament, which gave him a once-in-a-lifetime free trip to play in the amateur tournament at Pebble Beach. Jim was a hard worker from an early age. He did his share to contribute to the household income doing such jobs as shoveling sidewalks for $0.25 per lot, shoveling the steps of the church for some grape juice, and lighting the furnace on cold mornings at the West Side United Methodist Church for a few cents.Taking a bit of coal from the railroad tracks to help heat their cold house was also not an unheard-of occurrence in those Depression days. Jim grew to make many lifelong friendships and enjoyed many escapades growing up on the west side. He was a friend to all who knew him. In the summer of 1941, at the age of 17, Jim was introduced to Jessie Kempf, the cousin of his good friend, Fred Strause.Jim knew right away that she was the one for him.They spent the next few years getting to know each other and fell in love. Jim was drafted into the US Army Infantry on April 6, 1943.He was first sent to Butte, MT and received basic training at Camp Cook, California. On December 6, 1943, he was shipped overseas to join the 158th Regimental Combat Team (Bushmasters) on January 14, 1944. This regiment was specially trained for jungle warfare. Their logo was a bushmaster snake coiled around a machete. When they left San Francisco, there were 1800 men on the crowded World War II Troop Ship – The Etolin. They were bound for Australia and it took 39 days to go over. They began combat heading North towards Japan. Jim was wounded May 29th, 1944, on Sarmi, New Guinea. He was awarded The Combat Infantry badge, The Purple Heart three times, The Bronze Star, and then also received The Asiatic Pacific Medal – Three Bronze Stars and 1 Arrowhead, World War II Medal, American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the Army of Occupation – Japan. He served in the Asiatic Pacific Wartime Activity at Milne Bay, Lae, Sarmi, West New Guinea, Noemfoor Island, New Britian, Philippines, Luzon, Lingayen Gulf, Legaspi, and Toyko, Japan. He was honorably discharged in December of 1945. After Jim finished his service in WWII, Jim and Jessie were married on December 29, 1946, in Great Falls. Their love and devotion to each other was admired by all.They were the perfect couple. They moved to Kansas City, where Jim attended and graduated from the Kansas City School of Watchmaking & Jewelry in 1949.After his graduation, they moved back to Great Falls and made it their permanent home.He was employed by C.E. Davis Jewelry and also had his own watch repair business.Jim and Jessie worked side by side building their home in Great Falls, and their cabin in Monarch. Jim was an excellent carpenter, craftsman, handyman, and could build or fix most anything. After Davis Jewelry, Jim was employed by the Leader, the Great Falls Tribune, and then went to work for Buttrey Food Stores in 1966, retiring 20 years later as their Advertising Manager in 1986. Jim and Jessie were blessed with two children, Mark in 1961, and Linda, in 1964.Jim was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. His patience, calmness, unconditional and sacrificial love, wisdom, strength, ability to listen, humor, and compassion was unfailing and constant in all of his children’s and grandchildren’s lives.He was the consummate hero to each one.His smile was genuine, and he lit up the room. Jim had a knack for making things better, teaching that you can always find the good in life.He enjoyed photography, their cabin, boxing, golf, tennis, Montana, building anything, fixing anything, chatting with anybody, and just being with his family and friends. Jim was loved and respected by all. He was loyal, generous, willing to help anyone, unwavering in doing what was right, and doing things with kindness and gentleness. Jim knew everyone in town, and everyone knew Jim. Jessie would commonly comment, “He found someone to talk to, again,” whenever they were out and about.Jim and Jessie were lovingly married 69 years until Jessie’s passing in 2016. Jim was a great man with a great heart and a great soul…to us, the GREATEST!We will miss him more than words could ever express. Jim was a member of the First United Methodist Church, 50-year member of Delta Masonic Lodge #128, the VFW, the DAV, the Elks Club, the Ad Club, and the Meadowlark Country Club. He was also involved with the Charles Russell Art Auction, especially the quick draw. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Jessie; parents, William and Ethel Maneely; brother, William (Alec) Maneely; sister, Phyllis Oster; and nephew, Robert Oster. He is survived by his son, Mark Maneely of Great Falls; daughter, Linda (Bill) Anderson of Sherwood, OR; 6 grandchildren, Catherine (Jim) Mertz of Great Falls, Jimmy Maneely and Alex Maneely of Colorado Springs, CO, Meagan Anderson of Beaverton, OR, Lindsey Anderson of Seattle, WA, and Nathan Anderson of Portland, OR; 4 great-grandchildren, Adriana and Nikala Mertz and Nicolas and Joel Maneely; nieces and nephews, John Oster, Paula Oster, Tom Shively, Jim Murphy, Marcia Murphy, Edwin Murphy, and John Murphy; and dear cousin by marriage, and friend, Margo Smith. Thank you to Peace Hospice and all of your amazing staff and to all of his loving and caring friends and neighbors.