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James Richard Plummer

James Richard Plummer, 74, died Aug. 4, 2005, at his home in Heyburn, Idaho.

He was born to George and Mildred Plummer on Nov. 28, 1930, at Tekamah, Nebr. He attended school in Tekamah and Blair, where he graduated from high school in 1948. His education continued at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he graduated from the Naval ROTC program in 1952 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Pepperdine University in California. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, he returned to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and computer science from Idaho State University.

Jim was an active duty Marine for 24 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He began his military career as an infantry officer in Korea and served a tour of duty in Bermuda. He then went to flight school in Pensacola, Fla. He also saw duty in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California and Okinawa, Japan, and served three tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. He was part of the first Marine helicopter squadron to go into Vietnam in 1962. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Jim moved with his family to Heyburn, Idaho. He taught school in Cassia and Minidoka counties, worked at Cassia County Abstract and had his own bookkeeping business.

He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Burley, the Mini-Cassia Board of Community Guardians, Rotary Club, Marine Corps League, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American veterans and Snake River Fliers.

He married Nancy Story in 1952 and had three daughters. He was later divorced. He married Jean McDonald at Corona del Mar, Calif., on Aug. 31, 1962. They had two daughters.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Robert.

Survivors include his wife, Jean of Heyburn; daughters, Deborah Tietjen of Milwaukee, Wis., Cynthia (Jim) Snell of Ventura, Calif., Elizabeth Plummer of Los Gatos, Calif., Jennifer (Tom) Burton of Burley, Idaho, Joy (David) Plummer Ghelfi of Springfield, Ore.; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister, Betty (Bob) Coffman of Tekamah.

Funeral services were Aug. 9 at the First Presbyterian Church in Burley, Idaho. Burial with military rites followed at Riverside Cemetery under the direction of Rasmussen Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Memorial Fund at the First Presbyterian Church of Burley, 2100 Burton Ave., or to Minidoka Home Health & Hospice.