BRIDGETON, MO – James C. Lutz, age 65, passed away January 13, 2025, at SSM Hospital DePaul, Bridgeton, MO.
He was born December 26, 1959, to Charles and Shirley (Wiggins) Lutz. He has three siblings, Duane Lutz, Lee, IL, Denise (Ken) Myers, Lee, IL, and John Lutz, Shabbona, IL. He married Debra (Lowe) Lutz on November 24, 1984. They have one daughter, Megan (Micah) Schultz; and two grandchildren, Mason (Doc) and Miah (Sue Sue) all of LeRoy, IL. He also has several nephews and nieces. He is preceded in death by his grandparents and his father.
Jim graduated from Shabbona High School in 1978. He worked for DelMonte after graduation and attended Kishwaukee College. He then transferred to the University of Illinois where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Agronomy in 1983.
Jim grew up in rural Malta, IL, where his family raised cattle and grain. His love of farming inspired him to get his degree in Agronomy. He started working for Pioneer Hybrid International in 1984 at their LeRoy Soybean Production Plant. In 1986 he moved to the Litchfield Soybean and Wheat Production Plant. In 1999 he was asked to oversee the building of and manage a new DuPont Pioneer Hybrid International Soybean and Wheat facility in Hamilton County Illinois. He retired from Pioneer in the fall of 2017. After retiring he worked for Rubenacker Farms part time for a couple years. One of Jim’s dreams after retirement was to build a greenhouse to grow vegetables. He built his greenhouse in the summer of 2022 with help of his son-in-law, Micah, and grandson, Mason. The time he spent in his greenhouse watching the plants grow from seeds he planted in the basement to a greenhouse full of vegetables gave him so much joy. For the past two summers we sold vegetables at the McLeansboro Farmers Market every Wednesday.
Jim served on the Hamilton County Memorial Hospital Foundation Committee for a few years after moving to the area but found his true joy in giving to the community by becoming a member of the McLeansboro Kiwanis in 2000. Through the Kiwanis organization, he met and became close friends with so many community members.
While agriculture was a big part of his life, his family was the most important and he will be dearly missed. All the family dinners, ballgames or anything school related that the grandchildren were in was where he wanted to be. He also had a love for hunting. He always looked forward to spring turkey season and fall deer season when his brother, Duane; nephew, Tanner; and grandson, Mason; would come. It was always good times, good food and “shoot straight,” Fishing with his granddaughter, Miah, was always on his list when she came to visit.
There was no “almost” in Jim’s view. He famously said often “almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
Visitation for Jim will be Friday, January 17, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Harre Funeral Home, McLeansboro, IL, after which time he will be taken to Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home in LeRoy, IL. There will be a visitation Sunday, January 19, 2025, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home with a funeral service at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, LeRoy, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hamilton County FFA, The Stroke Foundation or a charity of your choice.
