Jim was born in Omaha, the only child of Howard and Myrtle Iseminger. From a young age, he
was very creative and artistic; during the WWII era, he made detailed cutaway drawings of
military ships, planes, and battles. His clever wit showed in those early years as well, in hand-
drawn comic books and newspapers. He was a Cub Scout, paperboy, and went to Benson High
School, where he played trumpet in the ROTC band and later learned to play guitar and
mandolin. Jim went to Colorado State University where he studied veterinary medicine and
earned his DVM. After college, he served two years in the Army in Seattle, WA, and from there
he went to work for the USDA as a meat plant supervisor.
Jim and LeAnn met when he was home from college for a summer; they were both at “Rocky’s
Hideaway,” and he asked her to dance. They were married in 1959, and after several moves for
job promotions, Jim and LeAnn made Fremont their home for 30 years. After retirement, Jim
was interested in finding a home with a view, and they found it in Blair, overlooking the
Missouri River valley. After 20 years there, they moved to an independent living apartment in
Omaha in 2023.
Through the years, Jim continued to add to his list of hobbies and interests. Extra time was filled
with listening to all kinds of music, gardening – especially tea roses, bicycling, snow skiing,
H.O. model trains, collecting breweriana, running, bird watching, church choir, and Kiwanis
Club. Beginning in the early 80’s, Jim ventured into the sport of sail boating. As the boats grew
in size every few years, Skipper Jim trained LeAnn to be his First Mate. The third boat they
owned had a kitchenette and sleeping quarters, and weekends were spent at Branched Oak Lake where they rented a slip.
Jim and LeAnn were in several Bridge groups and enjoyed numerous travels together. They
visited Hawaii for their 25 th wedding anniversary and took many bus tours around the U.S., as
well as several trips abroad. He enjoyed nostalgia, so Route 66 was one of his favorite
destinations. In Jim’s later years, going out for breakfast and watching classic movies were
favorite pastimes, and he always lit up when grandkids and great-grandkids would come to visit.
Jim is survived by his wife, LeAnn; daughter Karen Grossenbacher (Scott); son, Gary Iseminger
(Andrea); grandchildren: Mallory Sisler (John), Sydney Dineen (TJ), Kaia Frenzel (Greg),
Kelsey Constant (Beau), DJ Galloway (Anna), Danielle Buechler (Patrick), Nick Galloway
(Maya), and Jackson Galloway (fiancé Joree); and great-grandchildren: JP and Georgia Sisler,
Tristan and Hudson Dineen, Benjamin Galloway, Archer Buechler, and Parker Frenzel.A visitation will be held from 3:30 - 5:00 PM on Friday, September 18, 2026 at Lord of Life
Church. A memorial service will follow at 5:00 PM.
