James Schmidecamp , born June 24, 1937, to John and Alma Schmidecamp in Stephenson County, died at home January 31, 2024. He married Janet Brandt on June 17, 1961. He and his wife farmed in the Shannon area until his retirement in 2009. In addition to farming, Jim served as a township auditor, was a member of the Carroll County Livestock Feeders Association, and was runner-up as Carroll County's Outstanding Young Farmer in 1972. He also served in the Nation Guard.

His hobbies in addition to farming, were few. He enjoyed wood working and home improvement projects made for his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed music, family activities, attending his grandchildren's events, and supporting members of his church family at Zion Community Church in Pearl City. Jim delighted in travel to the western United States, with trips to Alaska and Hawaii being among his favorite journeys. He made sure that his family always took yearly vacations.

His talents included being able to create new uses for repurposed items, long before recycling became popular. Always a farmer, his favorite phrase was "it depends on the weather", which resulted in many family jokes through the years.

Survivors include his wife, Jan, his daughters, Lori (Dennis) Byrd and Lisa (James) Cassioppi, and their families, including three grandchildren, CJ, Ben, and Anna. He is also survived by a sister, Marilyn (Gary) Flickinger. He was preceded in death by a brother, Jackie.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024 at Zion Community Church of Pearl City at 11:00 a.m. with a visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Freeport. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established.