James Austin Hafer

James Hafer, 93, of Silver City, passed away on Sunday, November 3, 2013 at the Glen Haven Home in Glenwood. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2013 at the Loess Hills Funeral Home in Glenwood. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral. Burial will be at the Silver City Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Gordon E. May Legion Post 439.

Memorials: Silver City Library or Silver City Fire and Rescue

James Austin Hafer was born on August 8, 1920 in Council Bluffs to William Arthur and Neva (Mosely) Hafer. The family moved to Silver City in 1928. James graduated from Silver City High School in 1939. He helped print the Silver City Times, where he learned to run the linotype. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served aboard the destroyer U.S. Murray in the South Pacific. He returned home in 1945 and went back to work in the newspaper printing business working for the Glenwood Opinion, The Plattsmouth Journal, World Herald and Sun Newspaper. After the Sun's newspaper plant was destroyed to make way for the Kennedy Freeway he was employed by the Iowa Resource Center as a trades helper and furniture repairer. He retired in 1982 to his home in Silver City where he repaired some antiques in the Hafer woodworking shop. He enjoyed working on his lawn and doing some gardening. He was a 50-year Mason and enjoyed the lodge.
James is survived by his sisters, Grace Phillips Feyerabend and husband, William of Ames, IA and Florence Houser and husband, Don of Glenwood; many nephews and one niece; and a host of friends.
James was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Marie Schoening.