James D. "Jim" Reinhart

James David Reinhart, of rural Botkins, OH went to be with his Heavenly Father, wife and daughter on April 28, 2023, his 94th birthday, while living as a resident at the Wapakoneta Manor. James was born on April 28, 1929, to Jacob and Nellie (Swartz) Reinhart in a rural northern Shelby County home. He had one older brother, Daniel (Patricia) Reinhart who is deceased. Jim was the valedictorian for the Class of 1947 at Jackson Center High School where he not only excelled in academics but was also on the basketball and baseball teams. On October 27, 1951, he married his beautiful wife, Evelyn Mae Buchanan, with whom he enjoyed over 70 years of marriage before she passed in 2022.They were the parents of 4 children: Deborah Reinhart (Stanley) Brown of St. Marys, Mary Rebecca [Becky] (Tom) Quellhorst of New Bremen, Janna Elizabeth (Erik) Hirschfeld of New Bremen, and David James (Dawn Fisher) Reinhart of Botkins. He was preceded in death by Mary Rebecca. James was a proud grandpa to nine: James (Kimberly Ray) Brown, Matthew (Jenny) Quellhorst, Sarah Quellhorst, Amanda (Tau) Edwards, Audrey (David) Ervin, Mitchell (Brittany) Hirschfeld, Clinton (Danielle) Hirschfeld, Victoria (Justin) Bruns, and Weston (Victoria) Hirschfeld. Jim also was able to welcome 23 great- grandchildren into the fold in his lifetime: Genevieve, Annaliese, William, and Lorelei Brown; Aryiah, Makena, and Cailyn Pfenning; Jaxon and Dallas Edwards; Anne, Craig, Phillip, and Juliette Ervin; Petra, Charis, and Danica Hirschfeld; Reagan, Benjamin, Grant, and Abigail Hirschfeld; Evelyn Grace, Noah, and Lillian Bruns. He made such an impression on all their lives. James is also survived by a brother-in-law, James (Carol) Buchanan of Lexington, KY, a niece and six nephews. Jim grew up on a dairy farm and was milking cows at a very young age. He always preferred working with the cows to tending the horses used to work the fields. James was a life-long member of St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Clay Twp, and was active in the church holding many leadership positions and teaching Sunday School to the young adults and adults. He lived the life of a Christian and set an example for many to follow. He was drafted into the US Army in 1954 and served his country for two years. Following his basic training in Ft. Knox, KY, he attended Cook School where he graduated first in his class. He was stationed in Germany for much of his time and was the Pastry Chef for his unit. He often talked about crossing the Atlantic on a ship and the setting up and tearing down of the mobile kitchen in the field when they were on maneuvers. He often said, “those were the best two years of my life.” It was the military service that secured his job as a Rural Mail Carrier for the Botkins, OH Post Office. It was a job he loved and it meshed well with the dairy farm. He was renowned for his sleeveless t-shirts that he wore year round while delivering the mail. He retired in 1989 and was a proud member of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association for over 61 years. Jim enjoyed taking pictures – mostly slides in the earlier years and then prints as he and Evelyn traveled the country together visiting all 50 states. He was a social person enjoying dartball league at the church, bowling in the Wapak men’s league, golfing and a member of the Shelby County Senior Swingers, fishing and playing cards. He was active in Farm Bureau and served as president for Auglaize County. He was a patient, kind, and humble man and also a little bit ornery. A service to celebrate James’s life on earth will be held on Friday, May 5,2023 beginning at 10:30 am at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Clay Twp with Rev. Cheryl Siegenthaler officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery, where military rites will be conducted by the Wapakoneta V.F.W. Post #8445. Visitation with the family will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at the Eley Funeral Home on SR 501 in Wapakoneta from 5-8pm and an hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Memorials can be directed to St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Clay Twp, Wapakoneta, OH or to Grand Lake Hospice, St. Marys, OH.

James D. "Jim" Reinhart

April 28, 1929 - April 28, 2023