James McDonald

Jim McDonald, age 79, of Aurora, died Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at Memorial Community Care.

Funeral Services will be held 10:30 A.M., Friday, July 27th at the Aurora United Methodist Church. Rev. Richard Karohl will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 P.M. Thursday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary. The family will greet friends from 5 – 8. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: JAMES McDONALD

James Galland McDonald, the son of Elijah L. and Elva D. (Galland) McDonald, was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa on March 21, 1928 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on July 24, 2007, at the age of 79.

He grew up in Council Bluffs and his family moved to Grand Island when he was seven years old. Jim graduated from Grand Island High School. He moved to Denver to attend trade school and work as a mechanic. Jim returned to Nebraska and worked at the Cornhusker Ordnance Plant and glove factory.

On August 15, 1954, he was united in marriage to Marilyn Wilson at Trumbull, Nebraska. Jim started J & M Machine Shop in Aurora with his partner, Marvin Babel. He was called to active duty in California for ten months in October 1961 and served another 18 months in Vietnam, starting in April of 1968. Jim worked for Century Manufacturing Company, which was later called Arjo, until his retirement in 1992.

Jim was a member of the Aurora United Methodist Church, V.F.W. Post #4993 and Aurora American Legion Post #42.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, William McDonald and sister, Dorothy McDonald.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Marilyn McDonald of Aurora; two daughters, Deb (Jerry) Vanderheiden of Aurora and Karen (Dennis) Svoboda of Lincoln; sister, Betty (Alfred) Roepker of St. Libory and six grandchildren, Sarah, Megan and Allison Svoboda and David, Ashley and Todd Vanderheiden.