Dr. James Irven Long, age 87 of Lake View, IA/Mesa, AZ, passed away on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at Twilight Acres Nursing Home in Wall Lake, IA. Jim was born on December 9, 1934, to Irven and Winifred (Sagstuen) Long in Carroll, IA. He was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church. Jim grew up and lived on a farm northwest of Lake View. He attended country school through the 8th grade, and graduated from Lake View High School in 1953. Jim lettered in football, basketball and baseball. He was president of the FFA and was on the livestock judging team. The FFA was the first to distribute commercial fertilizer to the area farmers.
After graduation, Jim served in the United States Army. He was assigned to infantry as a 60 mm gunner in Company K, 86th Regiment. He was trained at Fort Riley, KS, and was part of a program called Gyroscope. This group was shipped to Schweinfurt, Germany, and was considered to be one of the most combat-ready units in NATO.
On July 21, 1957, Jim married his high school sweetheart, Lois E. Manuel, at the Methodist Church in Lake View.
In the fall of 1957, Jim started college at Iowa State University, getting his B.S. in Animal Science in 1960. He was on the Iowa State livestock judging team. Jim went on to get his M.S. degree in Animal Nutrition from the University of Nebraska in 1962, and his Doctorate in Animal Nutrition at Iowa State University in 1967. He was in the American Society of Animal Science, American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists and was a member of Sigma Xi Honorary Fraternity. During his college years, Lois and Jim became the parents of three children, Susan, Linda, and Fred. Jim later finished his studies by getting an MBA in 1986 from Lake Forest School of Management in Lake Forest, IL, graduating with high honors. In addition, he has published many technical articles.
Dr. Long worked for Continental Grain (Wayne Feeds) from 1966 to 1995. He was Manager and then Director of Research. He managed 7 PhD’s, and 26 employees at the Wayne Agricultural Development Center. From 1991 to 1995, Jim worked with the Asian Industries Division. He and Lois lived in Hong Kong for 9 months and then traveled annually to Asia 4 months at a time. During his time there, he worked with company personnel to develop new products. He provided technical support to customers in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines. In addition, Dr. Long worked in Mexico, Canada, and Ecuador.
Jim and Lois lived in Libertyville, IL, from 1966 to 1995. After retirement, they moved back to Lake View where they spent their summers and then wintered in Mesa, AZ. Jim was active in the Methodist Church serving on many committees, taught Sunday School classes, and took mission trips to John’s Island in South Carolina, remodeling homes for those in need. Jim and Lois also went on a mission trip in 2000 with Concordia Language Village, of Moorhead, MN, to Zibo, China, to teach English to Chinese students.
Jim helped coach Little League baseball for many years. He always enjoyed having a large garden, giving away many vegetables to people who could no longer have a garden.
In Lake View, Jim was a member of the Lion’s Club and was on the Historic Museum Board where he worked on moving and remodeling a one-room school, helped to move and set up Dr. Durst’s train set and model of Lake View, and landscaped the outside of the museum. Jim played golf and enjoyed taking photographs. Jim started traveling when he was in the Army and was shipped to Schweinfurt, Germany as well as Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and France. Jim and Lois loved to travel, taking many land tours and river cruises. During these trips, they visited 41 countries.
Jim enjoyed having his coffee early in the morning on the deck observing Black Hawk Lake and in the winter seeing the sunrise over Superstition Mountain in Arizona. His memory will live on in so many hearts as throughout his lifetime he touched so many. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents Irven J. Long and Winifred I. Sagstuen Long; daughter Susan Tracy Mueller; son-in-law Kenneth Edmund Mueller; brother Richard Dale Long and Dale’s first wife Darlean Bremer Long, and second wife Phyllis Hartman Long; and brother Leland Sagstuen Long.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife Lois; daughter Linda Pierce (C.P.); son Fredrick Long (Kristina); grandchildren: Eric Mueller, Kenneth Mueller (Katie), Katelyn Mueller-Hammers (Mark), Justin Pierce (Erika), Rachel Pierce-Hootman (Jesse), Hannah Long, Nathanael Long, Gabby Long (fiancé Micah Peñalva), Samuel Long, and David Long; and great-granddaughter Gracie Sue Mueller.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in memory of Jim and the family will gift to the East Sac County FFA Program and the Lake View Historical Society, both of which Jim was very involved.
