Orville James 'Jim' Edquist

Orville James “Jim” Edquist was born on September 12, 1935 in Russell, Pennsylvania, the son of Ernest W. and Hazel (Havener) Edquist and departed this life on July 22, 2012 in his home, following more than a year-long courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jim grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania and graduated from Warren, Pennsylvania High School in 1953. He entered the data processing field when it was in its infancy and spent over twenty-five years in that field, working at Marlin Rockwell in Jamestown, New York and New Britain, Connecticut. He went on to work as supervisor of data processing at Rocky Mountain Dental Products in Denver, Colorado and Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois. Jim had many classes in computer programming.

On June 19, 1965, he married Patricia Harland in Quincy, Illinois. They began their married life in Denver, Colorado, where their two children were born.

The family had a dairy farm near Boscobel, Wisconsin, and from there moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he was assistant administrator of Maranatha Village, a retirement home. For the past twenty-three years, he and his son owned and operated Faith Springs Dairy, south of Mountain Grove. Jim always had a project in the making or in progress on the farm. He also made use of wood cut off the farm. He built numerous tables and shelves, some even in the last few weeks. Another interest was restoring old tractors.

Survivors include Pat, his wife of forty-seven years; a daughter, Joy Bell and her husband, Joshua, of Springfield, Missouri; a son, Eric Edquist and his wife, Cheryl, of Mtn. Grove, Missouri; five grandchildren: Galen, Cora, and Gibson Bell of Springfield, Missouri, and Elias and Hala Edquist of Mtn. Grove, Missouri; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law: Jim and Donna Harland of Murray, Utah; two nieces: Amy Lacy and her husband, Wes of Stafford, Virginia and Jessica Condon of Sandy, Utah; cousins that he considered to be his siblings: Dale Kline of Akron, Ohio; Bill Wiltsie and his wife, Marvel, of Russell, Pennsylvania; Ernest Wiltsie and his wife, Bea, and Mary Himes, all of Frewsburg, New York; Ted Wiltsie of Warren, Pennsylvania; and Helen Park and her husband, Kenny, of Dunnellon, Florida.

Jim accepted Christ as his Savior as a teen. The family was always involved in a church wherever they lived. Most recently, he faithfully attended the First Baptist Church in Mtn. Grove, as long as his health permitted. Jim will be remembered for his undying faith and trust in his Savior, loyalty to his family, and his good work ethic and integrity in all that he did.

Memorial Contributions:
Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch in Lampe, Missouri - Mountain Grove Christian Academy - Convoy of Hope.