James H. Elleson passed away peacefully at Shorehaven Senior Living in Oconomowoc, WI on January 7th.
Jim was born on July 24, 1933 to Earl and Elsie (Wirta) Elleson in West Allis, WI. He grew up in West Allis with his twin sister Barbara and older sister Betterae. He graduated from West Allis Central High School and the University of Wisconsin.
After graduating from the UW he entered the Army, serving as a paratrooper with the “Screaming Eagles” of the 101st Airborne Division, and later in Army intelligence. He was honorably discharged in 1957 and settled in the Milwaukee area with his wife Vera Jean and two children.

He went on to have a career in sales, first selling commercial kitchen equipment and later real estate. He loved to work with his hands and with wood, and spent a lot of time on remodeling projects and building things. Later he acquired the hobby of buying antique furniture at auctions and estate sales, then refurbishing them.

In 1989 he met and married Barbara Groechel of Brookfield. Both Jim and Barb had always loved vacationing in northern Wisconsin, so they built a home on Pickerel Lake near Eagle River, retiring and moving there full time in 2002. Jim loved the beauty of the area and the small town feel of Eagle River. In 2019 they moved back to Oconomowoc in the Milwaukee area.

Being born and spending his formative years during the Depression shaped Jim's personality. He was a practical man, consistently choosing the plain and simple over the fancy and ornate. He was also a gentle person, with a calm demeanor and measured reactions, and able to find a positive aspect of whatever situation he found himself in. Throughout his life he maintained a witty sense of humor, no matter the situation. To his children, he emphasized self-sufficiency and independence, and pride in one's work. (If he said “If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right” once, he said it a thousand times!)

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and first wife.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, son Jim, daughter Jaya, stepsons Tom and Gregg Groechel, granddaughters Lia (Chris) Sparks and Liz (Joey) Calvert, six great-grandchildren and a great-great granddaughter.
He will be buried in Wisconsin Memorial Park in Brookfield, WI and a ceremony will be held