James Crow

James Edgar (Jim) Crow was born at Orafino, NE to Raymond Dale and Evelyn Mary (Metcalf) Crow, February 16, 1936.  He departed this life February 12, 2021, in Kearney, NE.

The family lived several places in Frontier County.  When Jim was 3 1/2 years old his mother passed away and after that Jim went to live with his maternal grandparents Charles and Sarah Metcalf.  They were farmers and lived mostly in the Orafino, Stockville, and Farnam area.

Jim attended county schools until high school.  He attended two years at Farnam, and his junior and senior year at Stockville, where he was the only one in his graduating class of 1954.

The summer after graduation he worked as a farm hand.  He bummed around Colorado in the winter also working as a farm hand.  The following two years Jim worked for the Soil Conservation Service out of Curtis.  In August of 1957 he went to Idaho and surveyed for the highway department.  In October of 1957 Jim came back to Curtis to marry Opal Buker, returning to Idaho with her.  After living in Idaho for six months Jim and Opal returned to Frontier County.  In the spring and summer of 1958 he worked construction for Dale Banzhaf.  During the fall of 1958 to the spring of 1963 he did conservation work for Tom Cotton Construction.  In 1963 and 1964 Jim worked for Missouri Valley Construction building the canal through the sand hills from Valentine to Ainsworth.  From 1965 to 1977, Jim owned and operated B & C Construction, and Big Crow Sand and Gravel doing conservation work in Frontier and Lincoln counties.  May of 1973, Jim went to work for Consolidated Freightways (CF) of North Platte, as an over the road driver.  In September 1980 with the North Platte terminal closing.  Jim was moved to Cheyenne, WY.

In 1991 and 1992 Jim traveled through Canada and Alaska on his motorcycle pulling a small trailer, camping and enjoying the scenery.  In 1993, Jim packed up his motorcycle and traveled from Cheyenne, WY to the Florida Keys, returning through the lower states to Cheyenne.  He then went to Yellowstone, WY, returning once again to Cheyenne.  One more time he left Cheyenne and went to Alaska traveling to the top of the world.

In October of 1995, the Cheyenne CF terminal closed, moving Jim to Las Vegas, Nevada.  While in Las Vegas working for CF, Jim started a pallet business.  Upon retiring from Consolidated Freightways in 1998, with 25 years of service, Jim continued to live in Las Vegas and run a successful pallet yard, collecting, repairing and selling them back to the businesses.  Jim retired from the pallet business in 2016, returning to the Stockville area with his trusty dog Hero.

Jim and Opal were divorced.  Jim married Susan Wadlington in 1981, adopting her young son David.  Susan and Jim later divorced.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Evelyn Crow, his grandparents Charles and Sarah Metcalf, and grandparents Edgar and Rosa Crow, and son Rory Crow.

Left to cherish his memory are his daughter Peni Crow, of Curtis, two sons Cory Crow of Curtis and David Crow of Jacksonville, FL, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren;  three brothers Don Crow of Colorado, Richard (Nan) Crow, Oklahoma, Jack (Phyllis) Crow, Colorado;  two sisters Anita
Michaels, Oklahoma and Phila (Rob) Cole, Colorado.

Donations may be made to the Curtis Senior Center, any Animal Shelter or Rescue or the Charity of your choice.

Memorial Services will be Monday, May 3, 2021, 11:00 AM at the Berean Bible Church, Curtis, NE with Pastor Brian Nicklas officiating.