James "Jim" B.

Kirkpatrick

Lincoln — James "Jim" Burchell Kirkpatrick, 86, of Lincoln, formerly of Ainsworth and O'Neill,  died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023 at High Plians Alzheimer's Special Care Center in Lincoln.

Visitation was held Friday, Aug. 11, 2023 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a prayer service.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023 at the O'Neill Methodist Church. Pastors Bob Wynn and Blair Kirkpatrick officiated.

Burial was in the Ainsworth Cemetery in Ainsworth with military rites provided by the Ainsworth American Legion Post 79.

Memorials may be made to the Nature Conservancy or to the O'Neill Methodist Church in memory of Jim.

Jim was born on Aug. 28, 1936, in Ainsworth to John and Mary (Burchell) Kirkpatrick and was raised on the family ranch in the Niobrara River valley. He attended Ainsworth High School where he excelled in track and field, running on 880 yard relay teams that were undefeated state champions for two years and finishing third in state in Class B in the 440 yard dash. He graduated from high school in 1954 and enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He went through basic training at Camp Pendleton, CA and served in Hawaii, finishing his enlistment as a corporal.

He met Ellie Rogers in Hastings, where he was stationed at the ammunition base, and she was doing a rotation of psychiatric training at a Hastings hospital. They were married on June 8, 1959, in Ogden, Utah, and enjoyed 55 years of matrimony.

Jim returned to operate the family ranch in Brown County until 1995 when he and Ellie moved to a ranch north of O'Neill in Holt County where they actively ranched until 2005. 

He was a proud and active Democrat his entire life and served on the local school board, the ESU #17 board for 24 years, the township board and the fire district board. He was an active member of the Ainsworth Congregational Church and later the First United Methodist Church in O'Neill. 

Jim enjoyed ranching and did so in an era that saw the evolution from haying with a team of horses and selling cream at the creamery in town to the modern day. He loved animals, particularly his dogs, and avidly followed Husker football and current events. He loved his children and grandchildren, and was able to meet his great-grandson before he died.

Jim is survived by his five children Julie Brown (special friend Todd Carpenter) of Paxton, JoAnn (Jeff) Walthour of Mansfield, Ohio and their children Sara (Sean Strader), Jon (Purity), Katie (Gavin Chase), Befkadu, and Eyerusalem, Jeff Kirkpatrick (Glenda Pierce) of Lincoln and their son Ryan (Isabelle Duerr), Bryce (Rini) Kirkpatrick of Ft. Collins, CO, and their daughter Caroline and Blair Kirkpatrick of Aberdeen, SD; two great-grandchildren Atlas Strader and Robin Chase; one sister Rose Marie Kirkpatrick of Arnold, CA; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Ellie Kirkpatrick, his parents John and Mary Kirkpatrick, his brother John Kirkpatrick, two sisters Myrna Beatty and Lenora Fay, one nephew Boyd Newbold, one son-in-law Kenny Brown and one grandson Tony Kirkpatrick.