James "Jim" Myers

James "Jim" Myers, 73, of Hutsonville, IL, passed away on July 14, 2026, at Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper, IN. He was born on May 13, 1953, in Terre Haute, IN, the son of Clarence Howard "Fats" Myers and Betty J. (Yates) Myers. Jim was only a child when his father unexpectedly died, and when his mother married John Renner, the family put down roots on a farm outside of Marshall, IL. Here, Jim came to appreciate the outdoors and how to coax life out of the soil.

Jim graduated from Marshall High School in 1971 and enlisted in the National Guard soon after. He served his country proudly, and that deep-seated sense of patriotism stayed with him for the rest of his life. His love for Sue would run just as deep and last just as long. Jim married Nita Sue Coleman on October 27, 1973, and together they built a family that became the great work of his life. It wasn't long before he settled into the work that would occupy much of the next three decades, spending over thirty years at EH Baare in Robinson. Jim retired from EH Baare, but he wasn't one to sit still for long. He went back to work at TRW in Marshall, where he put in another ten years.

Through many of those years, Jim and Sue lived in Annapolis, and the place gave him room to do what he loved most. His garden there stretched an acre and a half. He thought nothing of setting out two hundred plants—often more—and whether he was planting flowers or vegetables, he was happy as long as he was playing in the dirt. The move to Hutsonville came in 1991, and Jim quickly made the town his own. He signed on as a volunteer with the Hutsonville Fire Department, giving years of his time to it. It was that same instinct that had led him to the Guard years before, the pull to show up for something bigger than himself. 

Nowhere did that others-centeredness show more than with his family. Jim adored his grandkids, great-grandkids, and the many kids he took in as his own. He was "pop-pop" to some and "grandpa" to others, but to all of them, he was a constant presence. They gardened with him, took rides on his wheelchair, and rode the train of wagons he'd pull behind him uptown to fetch the mail. The whole scene was pure Jim. He was a character through and through, full of life and always good for a little mischief. He liked doing things he probably shouldn't have, and he liked irritating people almost as much. But for all of that, he didn't know a stranger, and he'd give anybody the time of day, and then some. 

That openness came with a certain honesty. Jim wasn't one to hold his tongue or soften a hard thing. He didn't judge, but he didn't sugarcoat either, and there was something honest and clarifying in that. Of course, honesty like that tends to travel with a stubborn streak, and Jim had one. He was hard-headed, and he'd tell you it came from the Coleman side. It was on full display this past spring. He'd wanted the garden tilled, and when it was, he drove right through the soft, fresh dirt, knowing good and well he'd get stuck. Which he did. Three times.

That wheelchair gave Jim more than a way to get stuck in the garden. After losing his leg, the power chair gave him back his freedom. He fished from it, ran the weed-eater from it, tended the garden from it, unwilling to give up a single thing he loved to do. Mushroom hunting was the one thing he couldn't hold onto, and losing it was hard. But everything within his reach, he reached for. He got stuck plenty, and each time, his dear friend and neighbor Dibo or one of the kids was there to pull him free.

Dibo and the kids may have pulled Jim free time and again, but the truth is that he had spent a lifetime being that person for everyone else. He'd give away the shirt off his back, love his people without reservation, and leave a little of himself with nearly everyone he met. His family was the great gift of his life, and he never once forgot how rich that made him. Really, though, the wealth ran both ways. Everyone who knew Jim was richer for it.

Jim is survived by his wife of 52 years, Nita "Sue" Myers; his children, Jamie (Bill) Mills, Louie Myers, Valerie (Doug) Redfern, and Jason (Terri Jo) Myers; his grandchildren, Anthony (Carol) Mills, Mackenzie (Tyler) Moore, BW Powell, Brooklyn Redfern, Austyn Redfern, Jeff Redfern, Jadelynn Myers, and Macie Myers; and his great-grandson, Spencer. He is further survived by his siblings, Lewis (Melanie) Renner, Rita Hollingsworth, John Renner, and Paul Renner; by several nieces and nephews; and by many "adopted" children, including Emily Vandevender. He is also survived by his special friend and neighbor, Modibo "Dibo" Esdelle. He was preceded in death by his father, Clarence "Fats" Myers; his mother, Betty Renner; his stepfather, John Renner; and his beloved daughter-in-law, Shelly Myers.

A time of visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 17th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. In honor of his years of volunteering and the help they provided him through the years, memorial contributions may be made to the Hutsonville Fire Department, with envelopes available at the funeral home.

Jim will be cremated following the visitation, and his remains will be buried at a later date in Oak Grove Cemetery.