James Emmett Hannebaum

James Emmett Hannebaum, 63, passed away at Pioneer Health Care Nursing Home on October 1, 2013, from pancreatic cancer. He was born on March 1, 1950, in La Junta, to Leonard Sr. and Irma (Flaiz) Hannebaum.
    He attended schools at Vroman and Rocky Ford graduating in 1968 from Rocky Ford High School after missing only one day of school in those twelve years. He attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO graduating in 1972. He accepted a teaching position at Flagler schools in Flagler, CO. He taught vocational agriculture and was the FFA advisor for 34 years. He took one year off from teaching to accept a position with the Colorado State FFA office. He missed teaching and came back to Flagler to resume his teaching. During these years he worked on and received his Master's Degree at Adams State College in Alamosa, CO in 1978.
    He was instrumental in helping his students achieve many chapter awards. Jim said the most important one they received was the Parli-Pro Award which they received three years in a row. For that feat they received the large gavel. No other chapter had ever done that. The National FFA awarded their chapter the Building Our American Communities award for building the first living snow fence on Interstate 1-70. Jim attended the national FFA conventions with the seniors nearly every year where they received many awards.
    He enjoyed fishing and collecting various kinds of guns. He was a EMT and worked many years on the ambulance service at Flagler. He also held the position of Flagler mayor. He also enjoyed going to wheat harvest with his friends and told many stories of those times.
    Jim never married but always said his family was all the students who were in his classrooms and their families from Flagler.
    He is survived by two sisters, Judy Miller of La Junta, CO and Sharon (Ronald) Grasmick of Rocky Ford, CO, a sister-in-law, Shirley Hannebaum, of Wray, CO. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and his many, many friends from Flagler and at Cottonwood Ridge Assisted Living Center in Rocky. Ford, CO, where he lived before becoming ill. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Joyce Paugh and Selma Boiling, a brother, Leonard Hannebaum, Jr., three brothers-in-law, Dick Paugh, Kenneth Boiling, and Bill Miller.
        In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Flager School District for the vocational agriculture department and FFA chapter, 421 Julian, Flagler, CO, 80815 direct or through funeral home.
    

A memorial service will be held at the Fairview Cemetery in La Junta on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.