We all love ice cream! Felix, Jerry and Therese didn't have much time with Jim, getting to know him only after he moved to Revel. However, he quickly became a treasured friend as close as family to us. We were also fortunate to get to know Diana and Danny and we thank them for sharing Diana's wonderful Dad with us. We enjoyed visiting with Jim and reminiscing about his career, life in Spokane Valley "back in the day,"   the Seattle Mariners, Western TV shows and movies, great old toys, all sorts of stuff to keep us up late. We'll miss you so much, Jim...

Jim loved to reminisce about his time as a motorcycle officer. G.I. Joe has a motorcycle a lot like Jim's! Here are Jerry and Felix with Jim and G.I. Joe.

Jim said this car was a lot like the one his grandpa had.

Felix, Therese and Jim next to his favorite car at the show, a 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible.

We had a great day with Jim at the Touchmark Car Show on August 12. Here Jerry and Jim are figuring out how to get a joy ride.

Diana....So sorry for the loss of your Father. Our deepest sympathy and condolences to you and your family.

In Celebration of His Life, these are some of my most cherished memories of your Dad from our childhood days. As cousins, we lived on small farms near each other in rural Indiana. We spent a lot of time together, especially in the summer time. The family called him "Jimmy" back then, after all, we were just kids. We learned to ride bicycles by riding down an approach leading down from the hay mow on upper floor of our barn. There was a board fence at the bottom to stop us, just in case we couldn't make the turn at the bottom. We loved playing cowboys and Indians in our respective woods, whenever we got the chance. We used to play in the hay mows and built tunnels in the baled hay, yes, it was dangerous, just like drinking water out of the garden hose. Jimmy was two grades ahead of me at Adams Twp School until we, my family, moved away to Rochester then Kokomo.  We didn't see each other as much after that. We always enjoyed going to the Maddock Reunions at Francis Slocum State Forest near Peru, it was a great place for kids to rip and have fun. In later years, we moved back to Monticello and the summer after high school, Jim and I made hay together, then he went to Spokane and ended up spending most of the rest his life there. He got married; I got married; he went on with his life, I was drafted and did Vietnam and went on with my life. We had very little contact after that. He did stop in to visit us a couple times when we lived in Arizona and we did get to visit when he came back to Indiana in recent years and had a few phone conversations in the last couple years. We both loved to reminisce about our childhood days.

Your memories of your Dad will always be in your heart forever, and to know he is in God's caring hands in Heaven has to be a tremendous comfort to you. God Bless Your Father, You and Your Family.
 

On our Alaska trip we came through Montana and  Jan said we had to stop and see Jim. We grew up as neighbors and were at each others house every weekend. Our parents were friends. So I called Jim when we were close and he insisted we stop by.  It was 4 th of July weekend end and we ended up staying 4 days and he guided us all around. We enjoyed being with he and Karen and catching up with Jim since he moved west! Got to see him again when he came for Christmas to visit Vivian.  We relived out Burnettsville days , basketball and friends. Seeing him again was a great memory I will have. I never met you Diana but he talked a lot about you so feel like I kinda know you.  He was a great person and friend.  My parents stopped twice to visit him when they were out west. Once even in Spokan before he moved so they may have met you.  So sorry for your loss and will miss knowing he is not there to go visit again.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Alma family. I came on the Sheriff’s department in 1974. Jim was one of the first deputies I met. My first impression of Jim was that he was very kind hearted and was interested in who I was. I truly thought he was a great example of what a law enforcement officer should be. I continued to work along side Jim over the years and felt very fortunate to be one of his many friends. Rest In peace brother.

Tim Downing

OBITUARY

James Donald Alma

13 September, 1942 – 1 September, 2023

Ball & Dodd Funeral Home

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