James "Jim" Meirowsky, 91, of Liberty, Mo.,, died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at Liberty Hospital. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, at Liberty United Methodist Church, 1001 Sunset, Liberty. Burial will follow in Glenridge Cemetery, Liberty. Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. and again from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, at the First Presbyterian Church of Liberty, 138 N Main St., Liberty. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorial contributions to the First Presbyterian of Liberty, or Habitat For Humanity. Jim was born Sept. 9, 1916, in Traer, Kansas., the son of Paul A. and Mary Louise Baker Meirowsky. His mother died when Jim was two years old. His father remarried and Jim was reared under care of his father and loving stepmother, Lela. On Dec. 24, 1943, he married Lela Ishmael. Together they made their home in Liberty, where Jim worked for W. W. Whiteside at Whiteside Jewelry Store, which was founded by Mr. Whiteside in 1896. At the death of Mr. Whiteside in 1953, Jim purchased the business, which he continued to operate under the founder's name and is now owned by his son Steve, but continued to work at the store until a short time before his death. Jim was a veteran of WWII and served in the South Pacific Theater as a sergeant in the Army Air Corps. He was a charter member and past president of the Liberty Kiwanis Club. He was member of the Missouri Jewelers and Watch Maker Association. Jim was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Liberty, where he served as an Elder. He was preceded in death by his parents and his step mother; a brother, Louis; and sister-in- law, Mildred. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Lela; a son, Stephen and daughter-in-law Rebecca Meirowsky, all of Liberty; and a daughter, Pamela Ann Fretwell, of Quincy Ill.; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Jim will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and grandfather as well as an astute and caring Liberty businessman. Arrangements: Fry-Bross and Spidle Funeral Home (816) 628 4411.
Published by Kansas City Star on Dec. 3, 2007.