Jimmy Lee McLain was born May 15, 1958 in Eagleville, Missouri, the oldest son of James Lee and Helen Zimmerman McLain and departed this life on March 29, 2016 in Ridgeway, Missouri.
He was baptized at an early age and was a member of the Cainsville First Baptist Church. Shortly after graduation he joined the Army Reserves and did his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1980 he was united in marriage to Marietta Fine and to this union two children were born, Tyson Lee and Danica Jo. He and Mari later divorced.
Jim was proceeded in death by his parents James Lee and Helen McLain, maternal grandparents John Zimmerman and Pearl Zimmerman Stafford, paternal grandparents Clarence and Ruth Longfellow McLain and brother in law Lyle Swigart. He is survived by his son Tyson, daughter Danica and son in law Chase Stoll and new baby granddaughter Nola, sisters and brother in law Kathy and Gary Russell of Eagleville and Lynda Hoover of Princeton, brothers and sister in law Steven and Stacy McLain of Dunlap and David McLain of Cainsville and a host of neices, nephews, extended family and friends.
Jim grew up in Cainsville roaming the hills and backroads hunting and fishing with his dad and brothers. In later years he liked to hunt and collect Indian artifacts. Many happy hours were spent trudging through brush and creekbeds with his brother Steven. He was an outstanding gardner and a prolific storyteller. He liked nothing better than an audience to tell stories of his life experiences and observations, both good and bad. He had a photographic memory and could tell you what he read in a National Geographic when he was a boy. To find a subject he knew nothing about was nearly impossible. He was a hard worker and a loner by nature but could talk for hours on end when the notion struck. He worked for several years for Prairie Vu and in 1995 began working at Thomas Farm Meats where he will forever be remembered as Jim the Butcherman. Jim loved his kids and family and friends, lost his way for a time but never his dry sense of humor or his sharp wit. He will be missed by those who knew and loved him and will always be remembered just for being ‘Jim’.