James L. "Jimmy" Guenther

James “Jimmy” Lawrence Guenther, 63, went to his heavenly home on February 20, 2024. He was born July 21, 1960, in Galesburg, Illinois, to Phyllis Arlene (Lundquist) and Lawrence “Larry” Elmer Guenther. He was preceded in death by both his parents.

He grew up with 8 sisters and 2 brothers. One brother, Timmy Guenther, his oldest sister, Linda DeWitt, and his youngest sister, Chris Guenther, preceded him in death. Surviving are 6 sisters and one brother: Patty Traff, Debbie (Bill) Turner, Cheryl (Tim) Johnson, Richard (Sara) Guenther, Gayla (Doug) Berryman, Sue (Jim) Cordle, and Nancy (Ed) Youngquist. He has many nieces and nephews.

In Jimmy’s early years, he was very active. He detasseled, worked at Rusty’s Fried Chicken, Hardees, and many other places before joining the Army on August 26, 1983. He stayed in the Army for 2 years, serving in the reserves until 1989. His main job was a mechanic. He received the Good Conduct Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, and a Mechanics Badge, just to name a few of his decorations and awards.

After the military, Jimmy was employed at Protexall for 14 years. He also drove a taxi for a while as a side job. He followed working at Protexall with a job at Martins in Galesburg, where he worked as a mechanic again, but also filled in as a bus driver and picked up railroaders as needed.

Jimmy had a bad fall in 2010 that led to his being wheelchair bound. After the fall, he lived in assisted living facilities and nursing homes all over Illinois. He was always on the move. He was very sharp mentally and found the new homes on his own. He even moved to Arkansas once but missed Illinois and returned after a short time.

Jimmy stayed in contact with his family. Any story about what was going on in their lives brought a smile to his face. Jimmy and his brother Timmy left behind lots of adventures and memories from when they were young. The two of them got into more mischief than seemed possible. They never failed to amaze their family with their adventures and escapades.

Jimmy loved his family. He cherished the memories of growing up in Galesburg, Illinois, with his 10 brothers and sisters. He will live on in our memories forever. Until we meet again, please take our love with you. Thanks for the memories, Jimmy.

Celebration of life for Jimmy will be 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, February 24, 2024 at the Thomas Legacy Center at Watson Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory, Galesburg. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.watsonthomas.com.