Jimmie "Jim" Franklin Dewitt

Jimmie "Jim" Franklin DeWitt, 81, of Benton, KS, passed away Monday, December 2, 2024, at his home in Benton, KS. The memorial service will be at The Benton Church, 14300 SW 20th St. Benton, KS on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery Augusta, KS.
Jim was born on July 24, 1943, in Ellsworth, KS to Laura Ann (Maggard) and John Henry DeWitt. From age 1 to 10 his family lived in Cass Lake, MN. At the age of 10, the family moved to Augusta, KS. At the age of 12, Jim started working for Joe Meade at his fruit stand in Augusta and then began hauling watermelons from Dover, OK to all parts of Kansas. Jim was known to his family for his ability to pick "ripe" watermelons and was always asked to bring the watermelon to family events. Jim graduated from Augusta High School in 1962.
At 17, Jim joined the Navy Reserves, training in Great Lakes, IL. After his training he returned to Augusta, KS and was employed by Pressnell Construction. At the age of 20, Jim was mobilized to active duty in the U.S. Navy. During his time in the service he was stationed at Treasure Island, CA. Jim was on the USS Coral Sea for two years and then was moved to the USS Midway for a year.
After his time in service, Jim returned to Augusta and worked for Pancratz Construction. Jim began taking side jobs where he learned to wire homes and went on to obtain his Master Electrician Certificate. Jim worked for many years for the City of Augusta, Boeing, and Mi-Te Electric.
Jim is survived by: his wife, Sandra; daughter, Dana Phillips (Ted); son, David DeWitt (Molly); step son, David Holt; 5 grandchildren and many great grandchildren. Jim was preceded in death by: his parents, John and Laura DeWitt; brother, John DeWitt; sister, Ethel Thompson; grandson, Brock Phillips.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to Kansas Honor Flight, P.O. Box 2371, Hutchinson, KS 67504.