Jim Askins, longtime Palouse resident and farmer, passed away Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 24, 2024, at Whitman Hospital in Colfax. He was 82. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4, at the Whitman County Fairgrounds near Colfax followed by a reception. Jim will be laid to rest near his farm at the base of Kamiak Butte in the Mount Olivet Cemetery — a place he helped care for over the last 40 years.
James Elmer Askins was born in Palouse on Nov. 20, 1941, to Weldon and Anise Brantner Askins. He grew up with his older brother Jerry on the family farm in the shadows of Kamiak Butte. Incidentally; Jim and Jerry would get a baby sister, Connie, when they were much older; but they loved her very much and she has been a big part of their lives. Jim was an active boy who learned to ride horses at an early age. He helped his dad with many of the farm chores and always had an interest in caring for the livestock. Jim worked on many haying crews over the years, too. He attended school in Palouse. Another passion of Jim’s were his cars. He liked fast cars and could modify, repair, build or fabricate just about anything to make his vehicles perform the way he wanted them to. As a rowdy teenager; he may have been responsible for a street race or two in Palouse much to the chagrin of the local town cop. Jim raced at Riverside in Palouse and at Deer Park.
He met Jeanette Holder one evening at a community celebration in Deary when he asked her to dance. She quickly said “no,” but it wasn’t too long after that he convinced her otherwise. Jeanette and Jim married July 5, 1962, in Coeur d’Alene. The young couple settled in Garfield for a couple of years where Jim worked in the pea plant. Their first daughter was born a short time later and in 1964 they moved to Palouse. Two more baby girls would join the family and Jim was always very proud of his wife and three daughters.
Jim worked for the Whitman County Road Department for several years. Rusty Whitmore had him operating the paving spreader and Jim often reminisced about paving many of the roads around the county. He also operated bulldozers and heavy equipment. He always had a few cows and horses around their home near the Palouse River and a much larger herd that he raised outside of town. Jim was a founding member of the Palouse Mud Clutchers jeep club and made many fond memories with his family and others as they went camping and jeeping all over the region. His CB handle was “True Track” named for the tires on his jeep. Jim was a well-known mechanic and often worked in his shop after work hours and late into the night building jeeps for buddies or repairing them. He liked to spend time outdoors and often went fishing and hunting. Jim had a re-loading setup for all of his ammunition and did that himself. For many years he was a member of the Palouse Volunteer Fire Department. Gathering firewood was an annual event just like picking huckleberries.
Following the death of his father in 1979, Jim took over the farming operation. They moved from town and out to the ranch in 1992. Jim and Jeanette were a team and did everything together. They always raised a large garden and shared their bounty with everyone. They loved spending time with family; often there was work involved somehow, but spending the time together is what was important. Jim always planted a big pumpkin patch so the grandkids would be able to come out and choose their pumpkin from his garden. They followed their grandkids in many of their sporting activities as they came along. Jim and Jeanette liked to camp up the St. Joe River and ride four-wheelers. Jeanette passed away in 2011 and Jim found himself alone on the farm. He continued on in her absence but missed her every day. He kept busy with projects around the shop, mowing the yard or even just sitting on the porch. He enjoyed visits from his neighbors and friends and he liked making new friends in town. Jim often went into town during the evening just to “see who was out.” He was affectionately known in town as “Cowboy Jim” and he loved to visit with anybody and everybody. The last few months have been spent living with his oldest daughter in Colfax and his view of Kamiak Butte was slightly changed but he still visually checked the weather around the butte every day. It was more than obvious to anyone that knew Jim that he loved his little ranch, the heritage it represented, the memories it created and the stories it held. He was proud of his accomplishments and he should be. He worked very hard, was honest and true, and lived his life on his terms.
Jim is survived by his three daughters: Nikki Corbeill (Craig), of Colfax, Tina Taylor (Bob), of Clarkston, Pam Shawver (Kenny Moore) of St. Maries; eight grandchildren: Holly Steele, Jared Maloy, Haley Bradstreet, Josh, Justin, and Jarod Taylor, DJ and Jeremy Shawver; and 19 great-grandchildren: Cole, Dylan, Kiera, Kian, Brayden, Tyson, Miya, Sydney, Macy, Ashlyn, Jovie, Chloe, Blake, Avry, Addie, Jameson, Dawson, Gage and Brynlee with number 20 due in November. Jim also leaves behind his sister Connie Jennings (Gary) of Kahlotus, Wash. and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to Jeanette; he was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jerry, a granddaughter Tricia Taylor, and by sons-in-law Michael Maloy and Duke Shawver.
The online guest book is at corbeillfuneralhomes.com. Corbeill Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of the arrangements.
