James Schweiss

James LeRoy Schweiss was born on January 10, 1945, in Sharon, Pennsylvania. He was the fifth of six children born to Joseph Paul Schweiss and Elsie Pearl Neely Schweiss (later Stimpak).

Jim grew up in Sharon and surrounding communities and graduated in 1962 from Brookfield (Ohio) High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 17, serving in administrative positions from 1962 to 1966. While stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, he met his future wife, Kathryn L. Poulos, who worked as a secretary on base.

Jim and Kathie married on May 7, 1966, and welcomed three sons and two daughters between 1967 and 1976: James (Jim) II, Kara, Shiloh, Shad and Zachary (Zach). The family lived in Omaha until moving to the Millard area in 1980. All five Schweiss sons and daughters graduated from Millard South High School.

After many years in administrative positions with Chicago and North Western Railway, Jim launched his first small business, Turfside Off-Track Betting, which operated for several years in the 1980s and expanded to two locations before changes in state law forced its closure. Jim worked in various sales positions before starting his second small business, The Advertising Connection, in the 1990s and operating it for many years until retirement. He also did bookkeeping for a time for Omaha Publications.

Jim and Kathie moved to Walnut, Iowa, in the late 1990s and later relocated to Atlantic, Iowa, where Kathie still lives.

In 2019, several years after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia, Jim moved to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home in Bellevue, Nebraska. He died there the morning of Thursday, February 6, 2025, with a son and a daughter by his side. The family is grateful for the six years of care from the ENVH staff and for the hospice services provided during the last two years through AseraCare. It was a long road, and these amazing caregivers took great care of Jim and helped ease the journey for the family as well.

Jim was predeceased by his parents; brothers Joseph Schweiss, Jr. and John "Jack" Schweiss; and sister Jean Griggs. He is survived by wife Kathie Schweiss; son James Schweiss II; daughter Kara Schweiss (Grant Hoover) and grandsons Brock Hoover and Quinn Hoover; daughter Shiloh Schweiss and grandsons Trevor Schweiss and Ty Schweiss; son Shad Schweiss (Wendy) and granddaughters Morgon Schlotzhauer and Jaslyn Schweiss and grandson Ryland Schweiss; and son Zach Schweiss. He is also survived by brother Jerry Schweiss (Charlie) and sister Judie Swogger (Oscar), and many nieces and nephews.