James Barnes Walker....Age 75

Service 10:00am Saturday April 9, 2016 at the Eddy-Birchard Chapel

Burial Lane Cemetery, Lane, Kansas

Memorial: Prairie Paws Ottawa, KS or American Cancer Society
Send c/o Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home P.O. Box 430 Osawatomie, KS 66064
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James Barnes “Jim” Walker age 75 of Lane, Kansas died Saturday March 26, 2016 at his home after fighting a long battle with cancer.

Jim was born October 4, 1940 in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the younger of two children born to James Raymond and Nell Mildred (Meyer) Walker. He grew up in Merriam, Kansas and attended Merriam Grade School then on to Shawnee Mission High School. Growing up, Jim played Little League baseball and participated in go-cart racing. Jim played basketball at Merriam Grade School and later on the Merriam Christian Church team. In high school, he played the trumpet in the Shawnee Mission High School Marching band and marched in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California in 1957. Jim graduated with the class of 1958.

After high school, Jim attended The University of Kansas and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Then he went to work for the Continental Insurance Company in Chicago, Illinois. He later joined his father at the Walker-Curtis Insurance Agency in Kansas City, Missouri.

After 3 years with the Walker-Curtis Agency, he accepted a position with the Hartford Insurance Company in Denver, CO. He joked that they hired him so they could win the annual golf tournament. In Denver he met his future wife, Betsy Nelson. They married on November 25, 1972 in Lakewood, Colorado.

Betsy introduced Jim to the joys of fishing. They spent many enjoyable vacations fishing with Betsy's family in Minnesota and Canada. After many moves with the Hartford Company, Jim retired as manager of the Detroit office and they returned to the Kansas City area where Jim was glad to be able to spend time with family and old friends.

Jim and Betsy built their dream house on a farm in Lane, Kansas where they could enjoy watching the wildlife. Jim was an avid fan of KU basketball, also the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs. He was a car buff and enjoyed watching Formula 1 racing on TV. After Betsy's death, he joined the Lane Senior Lunch Program and made a lot of new friends. Jim was blessed to have a wonderful neighbor and friend, Pat Mullins who gave him much help and support during his final battle with cancer.
Jim is preceded in death by his wife of 34 years Betsy and his parents.

He is survived by his sister Barbara Miess of Moraga, California and nieces Jewelli Brace of Rocklin, California, Shari Elizondo of Temecula, California, Pamela Miess of Livermore, California and Kim Schroeder of Stoughton, Massachusetts.