James W. "Jim" Brokaw

BROKAW, JAMES JIM WILLARD, 81, passed away in Houston, Texas, Thursday, January 17, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Cora Marie Welch Brokaw; sisters Lois Brokaw Campbell and Lillian Brokaw Bray; brothers Jack Brokaw and John Brokaw; son Richard Brokaw (Kathy); daughter Joline Brokaw Walton (Jim); grandchildren Joie Brokaw Sheppard (Jason), Charity Brokaw, Katie Brokaw Wood (Bernie), David Brokaw, Raychel Walton, Jamie Walton, Marissa Brokaw, Lauren Brokaw, and Austin Brokaw; great-grandchildren Seairra Sheppard, Karisma Sheppard, Olivia Wood and Ronan Wood.

James is preceded in death by his parents George and Mary Brokaw and his sons Timothy James Brokaw and Jon Douglas Brokaw (Karen).

Jim is known for many things: being a leader, a devoted Christian, a loving husband, caring father and grandfather, a hard-working handyman, a sharp shooter, and much more. He is, perhaps, best known for the bold step of faith he took that greatly changed his familys lives and has today left an impact on the lives of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 1967, Jim gathered his family in the living room of their farmhouse in Stronghurst, Illinois, where they own owned and worked a dairy farm, and he prayed about a move to Brazil.

The answer to that prayer found them loaded up with suitcases and headed to Brazil. Jim took a job managing a 16,000-acre ranch in the heart of the country. He later became a supervisor for U.S. Steel, drilling for iron ore in the jungles of the Amazon, and then worked for a lumber company. His final job, however, working alongside Wycliffe Bible Translators, is where Jim and his family came to know and trust God as they never had before. They saw and experienced real faith and were forever changed.

After Jims children returned to the United States, he and Marie followed to be near them. Jim was injured in a farming accident not long after and he nearly lost his life. He prayed for Gods mercy that day and hoped that he could stay alive to one day see his grandchildren. God answered his prayer and he has lived to see nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

After the accident, Jim and Marie stayed in the states and he took a job as a sales representative with Massey Ferguson, working in Texas, Oklahoma, and finally in Des Moines, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 26, at 10:30 a.m. at Banks and Beals Funeral Home at 301 South Mary Street, Stronghurst, Illinois. Burial will be at Raritan Cemetery. Friends and family members may attend a visitation on Friday, January 25, from 6 8 p.m.