Francis Berens

Jim Berens, 91, of Kingsley, passed away on Friday, September 15, 2017 at Kingsley Specialty Care. Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Kingsley, Iowa. Msgr. Mark Duchaine will celebrate Mass. Burial will follow at the parish cemetery with military honors provided by Nash Post #140 of the American Legion. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at the Johnson – Earnest Funeral Home in Kingsley. The family will be present from 4-7 p.m. with a Rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a Scriptural Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to Mass on Wednesday.

Francis James “Jim” Berens, the son of Joseph and Mary Berens, was born in Dunlap, IA, on March 21, 1926. A year later the family moved to nearby Neola. His siblings were Dolores (Fischer), George, Robert, and Joann (Kenealy). Jim was an outstanding athlete throughout his life; while in eighth grade, he played on the Neola baseball town team. On his high school basketball team, “Southpaw Berens” led the 7-man St. Joe’s Rockets to state tournaments, where they fared well against schools much larger. He was named all-county several times and Class B All-State Center his senior year. While in high school, Jim also boxed amateur Golden Gloves in nearby Omaha. He was the runner-up in the light-heavyweight division of the Midwest Golden Gloves tournament.

After graduation, Jim followed in the footsteps of his brothers by enlisting in the military during WW II, except he chose Navy over Army. While stationed at Camp Hill, US Naval Training Center in Farragut, ID, Jim set a record on the Cross Country course. Apparently, running to school and back to the farm every day paid big dividends.

Following his time in the Pacific as a SeaBee during the war, Jim pursued his dream of being a major league pitcher, playing on St Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees farm teams. Following advice to “get more seasoning playing semi-pro ball, Jim was eventually hired to play for the Kingsley Cubs. Now known as Lefty, Jim was a great asset to the team, on one occasion pitching a no-hitter (one of three in his career).

While boarding with Sime and Allene Gabel, Jim eventually married their daughter, Dorothy on September 24, 1949.

Due to back issues, Jim turned his energies toward work and recreational hobbies. During seventeen of his fifty years working as a rural carrier, Jim held a second job working as a brakeman out of Sioux City for the Chicago & North Western Railway.

Despite this grueling workload, Jim expended even more energy to towards sports. A self-taught golfer, tennis player, and skier, Jim would enlist anyone in town to share in his activities. He and several of his lifelong buddies even built a modified ski tow on Kingsley’s old golf course, re-purposing a pickup truck, some blocks and a rope.

Jim shared his love of athletics with anyone he came in contact with. He gave away countless tennis rackets, tennis balls, golf balls, and advice to help the next generations develop a love of sports and being active.

Jim was also a prominent member of St Michael’s Catholic Church, serving as a lector, Eucharistic Minister, and occasional cantor.

At age 60, Jim earned his private pilot’s license and frequently gave Kingsley residents an aerial view of the town from his Cherokee-based airplane.

Jim was also noted for his love of dogs, in particular his Dalmatian, Bobo, who often delivered mail in town with his master. His basset hound, Ed, attended many softball games and served as an unofficial mascot.

Jim was preceded in death by wife of 59 years Dorothy; brother, George; and parents, Mary and Joe. He and Dorothy had five children, Kathleen (Rudolph), Michael, Thomas, Mary Anne (Dell’Aquila), and Theresa (Law); 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.