Son of William E and Clara Helen (Walker) Stepp, Jim was oldest of seven children, and he was always concerned for and faithful to his family. He resided in his early years in Greenbrier, Bollinger County, Missouri; Ryderwood, Chehalis, and Packwood- all in Lewis County, Washington, Jim attended Chehalis High School; When WWII broke out, he attempted to join every branch of the military, but due to deafness in one ear, he was rejected. His father and brothers all served, so that was a major disappointment to him.
His first marriage was to Carroll Fahlstrom of Chehalis; they had two daughters, Jill and Sharon, of whom he was very proud. We remember his love of driving; what limited time he had at home found us in the car going somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, just GOING in our 1946 Ford. His second marriage was to Norma (Johnson) Beeseman; they were good partners, sharing a love of travel and exploration.
Beginning in high school, Jim drove school bus! Life long Teamster member, he also drove bus for West Coast Lines before driving log trucks. His first highway driving was with Los Angeles Seattle Motor Express; he also drove to Alaska before moving to Alaska. Jim logged about 2 million miles with no chargeable accidents, of which he was very proud. Most of his professional driving was in Alaska, much over the Al-Can, which was still under construction and to the north slopes. He hauled about anything that was trucked including swinging carcasses, which offered a higher challenge than static loads.
After retirement, he and Norma lived in Yuma, Arizona before moving to Bellevue, King, Washington. After Norma's passing on 27 August 2014, Jim moved to Centralia, Lewis, Washington where he lived independently in an assisted living facility. The staff was surprised when Jim, then in his 90s, would go out for a drive and not come back until after midnight; they began to leave a door unlocked for him. He was happy to live closer to both his girls, and they were able to spend many enjoyable hours together, often taking day trips around the area.
The year before he passed, he and daughter Jill took a road trip to Washington DC; they visited many relatives along the way. He enjoyed being a passenger, taking pictures on his digital camera, touring the Kohler plant in Wisconsin, the Opalescent Glass plant in Indiana, the roundhouse in Spencer, North Carolina, the Harley-Davidson plant in Kansas, the Arch for the Platte River Highway in Nebraska, and many other interesting places.
A born helper, Jim led a life of service; he was a devoted Christian. At Jim's celebration of life, several friends who had driven with or known him professionally attended and joined the large family gathered in telling stories, sharing memories, and, what would have pleased Dad, sharing much laughter.
His first marriage was to Carroll Fahlstrom of Chehalis; they had two daughters, Jill and Sharon, of whom he was very proud. We remember his love of driving; what limited time he had at home found us in the car going somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, just GOING in our 1946 Ford. His second marriage was to Norma (Johnson) Beeseman; they were good partners, sharing a love of travel and exploration.
Beginning in high school, Jim drove school bus! Life long Teamster member, he also drove bus for West Coast Lines before driving log trucks. His first highway driving was with Los Angeles Seattle Motor Express; he also drove to Alaska before moving to Alaska. Jim logged about 2 million miles with no chargeable accidents, of which he was very proud. Most of his professional driving was in Alaska, much over the Al-Can, which was still under construction and to the north slopes. He hauled about anything that was trucked including swinging carcasses, which offered a higher challenge than static loads.
After retirement, he and Norma lived in Yuma, Arizona before moving to Bellevue, King, Washington. After Norma's passing on 27 August 2014, Jim moved to Centralia, Lewis, Washington where he lived independently in an assisted living facility. The staff was surprised when Jim, then in his 90s, would go out for a drive and not come back until after midnight; they began to leave a door unlocked for him. He was happy to live closer to both his girls, and they were able to spend many enjoyable hours together, often taking day trips around the area.
The year before he passed, he and daughter Jill took a road trip to Washington DC; they visited many relatives along the way. He enjoyed being a passenger, taking pictures on his digital camera, touring the Kohler plant in Wisconsin, the Opalescent Glass plant in Indiana, the roundhouse in Spencer, North Carolina, the Harley-Davidson plant in Kansas, the Arch for the Platte River Highway in Nebraska, and many other interesting places.
A born helper, Jim led a life of service; he was a devoted Christian. At Jim's celebration of life, several friends who had driven with or known him professionally attended and joined the large family gathered in telling stories, sharing memories, and, what would have pleased Dad, sharing much laughter.
Son of William E and Clara Helen (Walker) Stepp, Jim was oldest of seven children, and he was always concerned for and faithful to his family. He resided in his early years in Greenbrier, Bollinger County, Missouri; Ryderwood, Chehalis, and Packwood- all in Lewis County, Washington, Jim attended Chehalis High School; When WWII broke out, he attempted to join every branch of the military, but due to deafness in one ear, he was rejected. His father and brothers all served, so that was a major disappointment to him.
His first marriage was to Carroll Fahlstrom of Chehalis; they had two daughters, Jill and Sharon, of whom he was very proud. We remember his love of driving; what limited time he had at home found us in the car going somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, just GOING in our 1946 Ford. His second marriage was to Norma (Johnson) Beeseman; they were good partners, sharing a love of travel and exploration.
Beginning in high school, Jim drove school bus! Life long Teamster member, he also drove bus for West Coast Lines before driving log trucks. His first highway driving was with Los Angeles Seattle Motor Express; he also drove to Alaska before moving to Alaska. Jim logged about 2 million miles with no chargeable accidents, of which he was very proud. Most of his professional driving was in Alaska, much over the Al-Can, which was still under construction and to the north slopes. He hauled about anything that was trucked including swinging carcasses, which offered a higher challenge than static loads.
After retirement, he and Norma lived in Yuma, Arizona before moving to Bellevue, King, Washington. After Norma's passing on 27 August 2014, Jim moved to Centralia, Lewis, Washington where he lived independently in an assisted living facility. The staff was surprised when Jim, then in his 90s, would go out for a drive and not come back until after midnight; they began to leave a door unlocked for him. He was happy to live closer to both his girls, and they were able to spend many enjoyable hours together, often taking day trips around the area.
The year before he passed, he and daughter Jill took a road trip to Washington DC; they visited many relatives along the way. He enjoyed being a passenger, taking pictures on his digital camera, touring the Kohler plant in Wisconsin, the Opalescent Glass plant in Indiana, the roundhouse in Spencer, North Carolina, the Harley-Davidson plant in Kansas, the Arch for the Platte River Highway in Nebraska, and many other interesting places.
A born helper, Jim led a life of service; he was a devoted Christian. At Jim's celebration of life, several friends who had driven with or known him professionally attended and joined the large family gathered in telling stories, sharing memories, and, what would have pleased Dad, sharing much laughter.
His first marriage was to Carroll Fahlstrom of Chehalis; they had two daughters, Jill and Sharon, of whom he was very proud. We remember his love of driving; what limited time he had at home found us in the car going somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, just GOING in our 1946 Ford. His second marriage was to Norma (Johnson) Beeseman; they were good partners, sharing a love of travel and exploration.
Beginning in high school, Jim drove school bus! Life long Teamster member, he also drove bus for West Coast Lines before driving log trucks. His first highway driving was with Los Angeles Seattle Motor Express; he also drove to Alaska before moving to Alaska. Jim logged about 2 million miles with no chargeable accidents, of which he was very proud. Most of his professional driving was in Alaska, much over the Al-Can, which was still under construction and to the north slopes. He hauled about anything that was trucked including swinging carcasses, which offered a higher challenge than static loads.
After retirement, he and Norma lived in Yuma, Arizona before moving to Bellevue, King, Washington. After Norma's passing on 27 August 2014, Jim moved to Centralia, Lewis, Washington where he lived independently in an assisted living facility. The staff was surprised when Jim, then in his 90s, would go out for a drive and not come back until after midnight; they began to leave a door unlocked for him. He was happy to live closer to both his girls, and they were able to spend many enjoyable hours together, often taking day trips around the area.
The year before he passed, he and daughter Jill took a road trip to Washington DC; they visited many relatives along the way. He enjoyed being a passenger, taking pictures on his digital camera, touring the Kohler plant in Wisconsin, the Opalescent Glass plant in Indiana, the roundhouse in Spencer, North Carolina, the Harley-Davidson plant in Kansas, the Arch for the Platte River Highway in Nebraska, and many other interesting places.
A born helper, Jim led a life of service; he was a devoted Christian. At Jim's celebration of life, several friends who had driven with or known him professionally attended and joined the large family gathered in telling stories, sharing memories, and, what would have pleased Dad, sharing much laughter.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
