James K. Bain, "Jim", was born on August 4, 1936 in Grand Island, Nebraska, and when still young, moved to Cozad, Nebraska. Jim started working as a young man as he talked about memories of unloading freight and grains from train cars as his first job helpiing the older boys and other men. He talked about hanging with the older group of kids because he was more their size as a young man. He enjoyed the Navy and was discharged in 1957.
In 1956, he married Kay McGuire and they moved from California to Kearney, Nebraska to raise a family. Kay & Jim had 6 children and raised them in Kearney until 1973 when they moved to North Platte, Nebraska. While in Kearney, Jim worked with eye glasses with Rite Style Optical and then went to work in investments and development assisting with the planning, development and the construction of apartments & duplexes.
The move to North Platte was to join a partnership with Gene Wiemers and that is when Wiemers & Bain Daisy Chain Real Estate and Insurance began. That lasted about two years and Jim was done with the selling of real estate and insurance and appraisal profession and Jim Bain Appraisal began. The profession and this part of the real estate industry was new to Jim and schooling started again. Jim said his first appraisal was one page and and he enjoyed the profession as he watched the appraisal industry change and progress over the next 40+ years as he was learning and mastering the profession and all the changes along the way. Times were tough for a while in the beginning as the rates were high and the market stagnant with some trial and errors in investments and other ways to make a living. The market always did change and things came around and Jim stayed with it through thick and thin with Kay along his side as he built the business and raised his family. Jim incorporated the business in 1992 when his son, Jeff, started training under Jim as an appraiser trainee that year. Jim, Kay & Jeff continued on and built the business to what it is today.
Jim was an avid golfer until a major back surgery slowed that down. He was active in the community being involved and a member of the Board of Realtors, receiving his Ameritas Award for 40 years of membership in 2015, and he was on the Planning Commission from July 2011 until the time of his death.
Kay passed away in 2010 and Jim married Michelle (Woltemath) Bain on February 17, 2014 and they were married until his death. They enjoyed their time as they both have a passion for playing cards and hitting the casinos.
Jim Bain was a good man. He was Nebraska born & raised in Cozad, Kearney, and North Platte mainly.
Jim was the youngest of 3 kids and had 2 older sisters. He lost his dad at a young age, so he was quite independent.
Jim was in the Navy, then on to family life, marrying at age 19, and six kids by age 30. Most of his adult life was spent as a family man, raising those kids and trying to keep the chaos in check with one girl and 5 boys in the house. He converted to Catholicism when he married Kay and somehow they got the entire family to mass almost every Sunday - this was quite a feat with those five boys, but that was an example of the stability that he provided the family.
Jim always had a positive attitude. He had a great sense of humor and he was definitely a 'glass half full' guy and was loyal to everyone he ever met with honesty and ethics in all he did. In his business he once said "if you find someone to lie for you, they will also lie to you." He was dependable, if he said he was going to do it, you could depend on him to do it. Jim was a straight shooter - he would always tell you like it was - he was a no BS kind of guy - he would say what he meant, and he meant it. He was a family man. He spent the majority of his life married and raising 6 children and instilling in his kids a strong sense of what family means, working hard to provide and protect them, and sometimes making hard decisions for the betterment of the family. He was always willing to help any of his kids, and later grandkids, along the bumps in their roads as they came along. He bailed his kids out of more than one crisis, that is for sure.
He loved is when all the family could get together, which as time passed, as lives get busy, was more difficult, but when they got together, they always passed the blessing cup at dinner with a prayer and blessing for whatever occasion it was. More than once, you would see a tear in his eye at these moments. He taught his family how precious these times were. He was a generous man, very giving to all people, not only family, but friends...anything they needed, whether is was a favor, advice, a ride somewhere, a meal, money....if he could, he would give it.
His work ethic has become known as "The Bain Work Ethic." He believed in hard work, and had no tolerance for laziness. He worked up until just before he died. Don't sweat the small stuff - he knew what was important and what not to waste time worrying about. He lived life to the fullest for sure. He kept busy. In addition to working, he had fun. After all the kids were all grown, he was busy almost every night of the week with his hobbies of playing pool, cards, or hanging out with family and did not miss an opportunity for adventure. Even with young kids growing up, his kids will tell many tales of vacations and road trips to Mount Rushmore, Disneyland, camping adventures and trips to see relatives and friends.
Jim had the strength of a bear and the softness of a teddy bear.
Strong - no matter what happened, it could be handled. It may be hard, but they could handle it together. Even really hard things in life like losing a child. He buired 3 kids and lost a wife of 54 years. They all knew that as a family, they would get through it and they did.
James Keith "Jim" Bain, age 84, died December 22, 2020 at Great Plains Health in North Platte, Nebraska. And now as his is put to rest, his family will use what he taught them and get through this, too, together as a family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Minnie & Estel; two sisters, Virginia Binderup and Betty Shaw; his first wife, Kay Bain; and three sons, Kelly, Kris and Paul.
He is survived by his wife, Michelle; his three remaining children, Kim (Matt) Joy, Pat Bain, and Jeff (Brenda) Baind; grandchildren Erin (Naomi) Bain, Tammy Bain, Tim Bain, Brooklynne (Mike Drahota) Rosado, Brittany Rosado, Rory Bain, Taylor Bain, Chelsea (Steve) Reigies; step grandchildren Adam (Melissa) McMurtry, and Sharon, Christina, Michelle, and Kalob; four great grandchild Ariah, Paige, Kelly, and Hannah.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12:00 noon on Friday, May 28, 2021 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in North Platte, Nebraska with the Reverend Vidya Sagar as celebrant. Inurnment will follow the service at 3:00 p.m. at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell, Nebraska.
The service will also be livestreamed via the Adams & Swanson Funeral Home Facebook page for those unable to attend in person. Online condolences and sharing of memories can be made at www.adamsswanson.com. Adams & Swanson Funeral Home in North Platte is in charge of arrangements.