Jim was born in Port Huron, Michigan. He was an only child. When he was five, his family moved to Laurium, Michigan because his father got a job there teaching school. He spent summers on the family farm in Aberdeen South Dakota with his grandparents, aunt and cousin.
Jim graduated from Michigan Tech as a geologist. He went to work for CF & I Steel where he did lots of traveling. On one such trip, he was working out of Provo, UT and was introduced to his future wife Connie by a mutual friend. They were married June 19, 1955 in New Mexico where Connie was from.
Over the years, they had four children, two girls and two boys. Jim enjoys collecting coins, guns and everything mining related. After he retired, they took many trips. They went to England, Egypt, Peru and Greece. They spent their winters in their home in Colorado and summers in the home where Jim was raised in Michigan. He came to Ferron to be close to his daughter Linda last July.