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Note: Wiesner - German: habitational name for someone from a place called Wiesen, or topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow, a derivative of Middle High German wise meadow. Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
from findagrave dot com James Alexander Wiesner Birth: Oct. 6, 1944 Hays, Ellis County, Kansas, USA Death: Jun. 30, 2017 Alexandria, Campbell County, Kentucky, USA
James Alexander Wiesner died from complications of small cell lung cancer on June 30, 2017 in Alexandria, Campbell County, Kentucky. He was born Oct. 6, 1944 in St. Joseph Hospital, Hays, Kansas to Francis J. 'Frank' and Lioba 'Lee' F. (Brungardt) Wiesner.
While growing up, Jim was an altar boy at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Hays. He delivered newspapers on his bike during elementary school, and worked summers at his dad's store in Hays during his years at Regis College in Denver.
In 1962, Jim graduated from St. Joseph Military Academy in Hays, Kansas. He later earned degrees from Regis University in finance (1966) and Metro State University in human services (1986) in Denver, Colorado, and attended Creighton Law School in Omaha, Nebraska.
After graduating from Regis, he worked as an insurance auditor, then opened his own insurance and real estate businesses in metro-Denver. He changed careers in 1986, working as a dedicated, respected chemical addiction counselor.
From 1968 to 1974, he served in the Army National Guard, starting in a Kansas unit and ending in a Colorado unit.
In March 1990 he met his wife Jill S. (Gasdorf) Topper. They worked and played together for 27 years. In the 1990s they practiced real estate together. Ever frugal and on-the-watch for deals, Jim enjoyed garage/estate sales and thrift stores. Jim and Jill enjoyed traveling whenever they could. First and foremost, they loved spending time with their grandchildren.
Jim was stepfather to Andrew Dutton-Topper (Carrie) and Lisa Forman (Steven). He was our loving and loved Grandpa Jim. Through the years he was unfailingly there to help them.
Jim was a member of the American Philatelic Society. He collected first-day covers. He relaxed by reading his many books about the Civil War and haunted places, bought mostly at garage sales and thrift stores. A few years ago Jim started a cap collection. As an enthusiastic Broncos fan, he liked to wear one of his Broncos hats when he watched them play. He took pleasure in Rod McKuen's poems and songs. His favorite movie was The Wizard of Oz. Jim gave many hours helping construct interesting, extensive family histories, using his memory and books about Ellis County, Kansas and Volga Germans. Dear to his heart was his smartphone which he used daily to stay in touch with family and friends on Facebook.
Jim was predeceased by his parents and sister Mary Scherr, and his brothers-in-law Willard Staab and Gary Giebler. He is survived by his wife Jill in Longmont, CO, stepchildren Andrew Dutton-Topper (Carrie) in Tollesboro, KY and Lisa Forman (Steven) in Boulder, CO, and step-grandchildren Gabe, Sage, Lexi, Violet, Nate and Nick; his sisters Patricia Staab and Donna Giebler in Nebraska, and brother Frank A. in Colorado, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Cremains with family. A memorial service will be held in Longmont, Colorado at the Senior Citizen Center in Roosevelt Park on Sunday, July 30, 2017 from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.
He will always be in our hearts. We miss him.
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