James Samuelson

James “Jim” Samuelson, 88, died at his home in Yuma, Ariz., on Oct. 9, 2013.

He was born Sept. 1, 1924, in Maynard, Iowa, the son of Nicholas Samuelson and Ardath Conrad. After high school, he married longtime sweetheart Leila (Lee) Renfrow.

Samuelson joined the Army in 1944 and served in the European Theater until 1946. When he returned, Jim and his wife raised two girls in Iowa and moved to Columbia Falls in 1956.

Jim operated his own custom cabinetmaking shop, Samuelson Cabinets, on Railroad Street, for many years. He and Leila lived in Columbia Falls from 1956 until their retirement in 1986, when they moved to Arizona.

Jim was a member of the Foothills Southern Baptist Church in Yuma and the VFW and was a past commander of VFW Post 5650 in Columbia Falls.

He is survived by his widow Leila, of Yuma; daughters Terri Lee Gamble and husband Harry, of Prescott Valley, Ariz., and Roxana Hessman, of Denver; and grandchildren, Erin, Kris, Bryan and Cody.

Funeral services were held Oct. 13, 2013, at Foothills Baptist Church in Yuma. His ashes will be buried next to his parents at Woodawn Cemetery.

A memorial service will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls on Saturday, July 20, at 10 a.m.