James W. Dunn

 James W. Dunn, 71, died at home in the care of family and Hospice, on June 16, 2018 after an eleven month struggle with cancer. He resided between Buffalo Prairie and Reynolds.

 Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 22nd, at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, 201 E. 4th Ave., Milan. Private burial will be at a later time. Visitation will be 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorial donations can be made to the Development Office, Shriners Hospital for Children-Chicago, 2211 N. Oak Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60707

 Jim was the son of William Dunn and Florence L. (Roberts) Dunn. He attended Southside Grade School, in Aledo, until 1955. He then attended Woodside, Oswestry, England; Eastern Green Jr. High and Heart of England High School, Coventry, England from 1957 until 1963. Jim attended Aledo High School from 1963 through his graduation in 1966. Jim enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in August, 1966. He went to technical training for electronic warfare repair at Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi before being stationed at Mather (1967) and McClellan (1969-1970) Air Force Bases near Sacramento, Calif. Jim spent 1968 at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, with temporary duties in Vietnam.

 After completing military service, Jim was employed by Illinois Bell, then Ameritech and A.T. & T. for 40 years before retiring in 2012. He served on the board of what is now Vibrant Credit Union for 13 years. A marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jim had many interests and hobbies. He spent a lot of time beekeeping with his grandfather, Rollie Dunn, before going in the Air Force. He loved fishing both locally and on the Great Lakes, golfing with fellow telephone guys and in tournaments, and was an avid hunter and tracker. He was past master of Buffalo Prairie Masonic Lodge #679. He also was a member of Scottish Rite, Moline, Ill. and Mohassan Grotto, Davenport, Iowa.

 His real passion was breeding and training Drathaars/German Wire-haired Pointers and working to improve the breed both nationally and internationally. He was a member of VDD GNA-Group North America. He was a performance judge, and a breed show judge for the same international organization. Jim was a member and judge for NAVHDA (North America Versatile Hunting Dogs). He continually promoted the development of the Drathaar breed and was actively involved in training of hunting dogs. He regularly advised on general dog training, even through his long illness. He will be met by Rusty, Dolly, Amsel, Pasha, Anuschka, Aster and Otto, among many others. He loved puppies and the challenge of training them.

 Jim is survived by his sister Sandra and her husband, Bill Farrington, and their son, John Farrington, Sackets Harbor, NY; his nieces, Jennifer and her husband, Ben Cook, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Jolene and her husband, James Burns, Sacramento, California; and two great nieces, Zena M. Cook and Avery E. Burns. His parents, grandparents, and his nephew, James Farrington, and friend of 50 years, Gary Castor, died before him.

 Jim treasured his many friends from all walks of life. His family is very thankful for the love and support of all his friends over the years, especially through his long illness.
 

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