Thomas Ray ‘Jim’ Horsman

Thomas Ray “Jim” Horsman, 77, of rural Newton, died Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, at his home.

A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Immanuel Baptist Church. The family will greet friends from 12 p.m. until the time of service on Saturday and again after the service with a celebration of life at the church. Burial will be held at the Iowa Veteran’s Cemetery at a later date. Memorials to Skiff Hospice, Immanuel Baptist Church or the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp may be left at the church the day of the service or at the Wallace Family Funeral Home.

Jim, the son of George Max and Helen Lorraine (Wake) Horsman, was born on July 5, 1936, in Newton. As a young child his family lived in Tennessee for a few years, but returned to Newton where Jim graduated in the class of 1956. He was united in marriage with Patricia Louise Warner on June 1, 1957, in Newton. Jim served his country in the U.S. Army from 1959-1961. Jim worked as a production worker for over 30 years at the Maytag Company where he later retired. He also helped farm the family farm, “Horsman’s Herefords”. Jim was a long time auxiliary police officer for the City of Newton and after retirement, he was a courier at Keystone Laboratories. He was an active member of the Immanuel Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and a trustee. He also taught Sunday school and was an Awana leader for many years. He was a member of the UAW Local 997. Jim had many interests including hunting, woodworking, collecting stamps and coins and gardening. Over the years he had also raised rabbits and horses.

Those left to honor Jim’s memory are his wife, Patricia Horsman of rural Newton; five children, Tanya (Steve) Sheets of Shellsburg and their children, Hannah, Stephen, Samuel and Levi, Vonda (Larry) Mosher of Bondurant and their children, Christopher, Joshua, and Isaac, Carol (Kevin) Byrd of Polk City and their children, James, Oliva, and Casey, Randy (Rebecca) Horsman of Altoona and their children, Max and Matea, and Sarah (Rich) Burke of Bondurant and their children, Ricky and Ethan; and his sister, Ruth (Larry) Lloyd of Cantrell.  He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Janet Havens; and a granddaughter, Terry Lynn Mosher.