James “Jim” Earl Henderson

James “Jim” Earl Henderson

Marion

James “Jim” Earl Henderson, 81, of Marion, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion, where a Masonic service will begin at 4:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 28, at Marion Christian Church, located at 1050 McGowan Boulevard, Marion, with Pastor Gary Sneller officiating. A private committal service with full military honors will take place at Glendale Masonic Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa, at a later date.

Jim was born on July 25, 1941, in Des Moines, the son of Earl James and Pauline Ann (Rubash) Henderson. He was a 1959 graduate of North High School in Des Moines, Iowa, and went on to attend DMACC in Ankeny, Iowa, graduating with honors. Additionally, Jim graduated from Coe College, earning a bachelor’s degree in business. Jim served honorably in the United States Navy during the Vietnam war until his discharge in January of 1969. On June 19, 1977, Jim was united in marriage to Janet Darlene (Lutz) Wilken in Marion. He worked as a systems analyst for Unity Point, Rockwell, then Network Data Processing, until his retirement in 2004.

Jim had many hobbies and interests. He was a train and railroad buff, often traveling to train shows and museums across the country. Jim enjoyed traveling, boating, bicycling, and riding his Honda Goldwing motorcycle. He was an avid reader of many genres and he collected various artwork. Jim was an accomplished carpenter and handyman and shared his expertise with others.

Family was very important to Jim. He loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He and Jan hosted many family reunions and held annual Oktoberfests on the farm that provided the family with many cherished memories of hayrides, bonfires and magic shows. Jim was a member of the Trojan Masonic Lodge and Marion Christian Church. He had a strong faith in God and participated in many charitable missions in his church and community. It was important to him to provide a good example to his family, which he accomplished admirably. We were blessed to have Jim in our lives and all of us will miss him.

Jim is survived and lovingly remembered by his wife of 46 years, Janet Henderson; five children, Randy (Vicky) Wilken of Hiram, Ga., Rick (Paula) Wilken of Ashland, Va., Pam (Frank) Mueller of Verona, Wis., Tami (Mark) Rowell of Cedar Rapids and Kim Wilken of West Union, Iowa; daughter-in-law, Jennifer Wilken of West Des Moines, Iowa; 13 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; sister, Anna Templer of Clovis, Calif.; and two nieces, Andrea Hiralez, and Julia Templer.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, David Henderson and Rob Wilken; and brother-in-law, Bill Templer.

Memorials in Jim’s memory may be directed to the Wounded Warriors Project, Trojan Masonic Lodge or to a favorite charity of the donor’s choice.

Please share a memory of Jim at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.