James Richard Taplin

James Richard Taplin, age 74 of rural Sabula, Iowa, died on July 4, 2012 at Mercy Medical Center North, Clinton. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 9, 2012 at the Miller-Law-Jones Funeral Home, Preston, Iowa. Burial will take place in the Miles Cemetery, Miles, Iowa. A visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 8, 2012 at the Miller-Law-Jones Funeral Home, Preston.
Jim was born on June 22, 1938, the son of Reno and Margaret (Klemme) Taplin in Clinton. He attended school at the Sterling Corners Country School, Sterling, Iowa. He later graduated from Miles High School with the Class of 1956. He married Ronda Flemming on May 27, 1961 at the Little Brown Church in the Vale, Nashua, Iowa.
After graduation, Jim worked for Dairy Pak in Clinton and then farmed the rest of his life on the family farm in rural Sabula. Farming was his passion and he believed in being a good steward of the land. Jim received a Soil Conservation award for implementing strip-cropping and building ponds to stop soil erosion. Jim was an avid Chicago Cub’s and Iowa Hawkeye basketball fan. He was a member of the board of directors for Miles Elderly Housing and of the Calvary Lutheran Church, Sabula. Most of all, Jim loved spending time with his family and friends.
Jim is survived by his wife, Ronda of rural Sabula; five children, Lori (Dave) Burkholder of Charlotte, Iowa, James A. Taplin of rural Sabula, Brent (Lacinda) Taplin of Marion, Iowa, Beth O’Brien of Bettendorf, Iowa and Chris (Kim) Taplin of Miles, Iowa; nine grandchildren; two step grandchildren; two sisters, Elaine (Larry) Mommsen of Bryant, Iowa and Mary (Dennis Burken) Corlis of Wilton, Wisconsin and one brother, Keith (Jean) Coffman of South English, Iowa. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and one half sister, Donna Hines of Mason City, Iowa.