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James William Fischer, 86

James William “Jim” Fischer, aged 86, passed away in his own home in Hayden, Idaho, on March 7, 2019.

Jim was born in Clintonville, Wis., on April 30, 1932, to Ozial William and Ethel (Radtke) Fischer. He and older brother, Eugene, spent their early years at the Flathead Mine in Montana, where Ozial was employed by Kennicott.

When WWII started, most of the men joined the military and the mine closed. Jim was left on a local ranch while his folks went to find work. While they were gone, the ranch failed and Jim was left as an orphan on the Flathead Reservation near St. Ignatius, Mont. When he aged out of that program, he went to work for a sheep ranch near Augusta, Mont. He graduated from Augusta High School in 1951.

He joined the Marine Corps and served in Korea from 1951 to 1953. When he returned, he worked as a ranch hand, on road construction crews and then as a machinist at Lockheed in California. He got training to become a millwright and worked in that field, then as a welder. He worked for the Navy at the Bayview submarine testing facility, where he won numerous awards for his excellent and creative work.

In 1980, Jim married Ramona McNally. He and Mona shared 39 years and one day together. Together, they built their own home on Rimrock near Hayden, in 1987, where they lived until 2012. There they raised llamas and took wonderful care of five beautiful acres.

Jim was the fire commissioner for the Hayden Lake Fire Protection District and received state awards for his work in that role.

Jim is survived by his wife, Mona, and two sons: David and his wife, Becky of Poulsbo, Wash., and Dan and his wife, Cindy of Rockport, Wash. He is also survived by two grandchildren: Glenn Jones of Everett, Wash., and Emily Fischer of Bremerton, Wash.

No memorial service is planned. Please look for and sign Jim’s online guest book at www.dignitymemorial.com.