James H Austin

Jim Austin was born on December 19, 1936 in Tulare, California and died on July 13, 2020 in Redmond, Oregon at the age of 83.

Jim lived in Central Oregon for nearly 60 years and loved this land. He took frequent jaunts to the woods, lakes and mountains and never left home without his camera. His children and grandchildren have many memories of going on drives, cameras in hand. He loved to share photos and stories with friends, family and strangers alike. Jim also loved rockhounding, building and shooting guns, jewelry making, woodworking, and photography.

When he smiled, his eyes twinkled, often mischievously.

To understand Jim, is to know his deep roots. Jim’s parents were Gene and Sara Cusenbary Austin, strong midwesterners who moved to New Mexico in search of work during the Great Depression. When the Dust Bowl hit the Southern Plains, the family moved from New Mexico to California, where Jim, the youngest of seven children, was born.

Jim learned the value of hard work and using your resources at a young age during the depression. He went to work selling newspapers at the age of 9, bringing money home to help support the family. Once, when money was very tight, Jim saw a quarter in a sewer grate, just out of reach. He pondered the situation for some time, went into a nearby store and bought a piece of gum with a nickel, put it on the end of a stick and retrieved the coin.He could always find a solution.

Jim’s resume is long and varied. He was gifted with creativity, a strong mechanical sense and an eye for detail. He could fix or build anything, and put these talents to work supporting his family. To supplement this, he was a “wheeler-dealer,” buying and selling cars, guns, rocks, photos and more. He worked at gas stations before he could legally drive, repaired typewriters, drove a school bus, worked on oil and water drilling rigs, built custom homes with his brother (Orlie), and cut firewood to sell. He spent five years with Wycliffe Bible Translators, traveling to Mexico and Brazil.

Jim was honored to serve in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959, during the Cold War years. He did Basic Training at Ford Ord, California before going to security school at Fort Devens in Massachusetts and being dispatched to Alaska. He worked for the Army Security Agency division, a predecessor of the National Security Agency, and much of his work was classified until recently. His job was copying Morse code, much of it in Russian. He loved the movie Hunt for Red October with its connections to Russian submarines. While he never knew the true outcome of his work, he always hoped that he had helped to save lives, both American and Russian. He fell in love with Alaska while there and enjoyed visiting many times later in life.

He worked for 16 years at Clear Pine Moulding, in Prineville, and retired in 1999. He knew he wouldn’t sit still and fulfilled a lifelong dream, obtaining his commercial driver’s license and driving trucks. Then, he took a job at Walmart, becoming the finest bicycle assemblymen they had. He officially retired from this occupation at the age of 77.

But Jim’s greatest love and legacy was his family. He married Nancy Stubbs in 1962 and they had four children spaced out over 10 years. While later divorced, he and Nancy remained good friends. He was a good father, instilling strong faith and values, a love of nature and music, and a sense of sarcasm and fun. As his children grew and married, he welcomed spouses and grandchildren.

Jim is survived by a brother, Floyd Austin, and sister, Alice Jenkinson; his former wife, Nancy Grimes; as well as daughter Elaine and her husband Wolfgang, and granddaughters, Sara and Megan (of Anchorage, Alaska); Andy Austin, son Josh and his family (deceased) and daughter Jessica Maimone and her family (of Redmond and Prineville); Howard and Lydia Austin (of Prineville); and Mike and Theresa Austin, and grandson Turner and granddaughter, Courtney (of Prineville and Bend). Jim leaves behind his longtime friend and partner, Bonnie Beitz, and her children, Brenton, Callie and Kara as well as a host of friends.

Jim is remembered as a beloved grandfather, father and friend. The service and celebration of his life is coordinated by Prineville Funeral Home and will be held at Juniper Haven on Saturday, July 25, at 10 am. In lies of flowers, donations may be made to Prineville Band of Brothers or Hospice of Redmond.

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