James T. Meyer

Funeral services for James T. Meyer, 96, of Orchard, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, June 2, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Orchard. Visitation will be Thursday, June 1, from 5 to 7 p.m., at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Orchard. Burial will be in the St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery. Ashburn Funeral home in Orchard is in charge of arrangements.

James Theodore Meyer was born Dec. 24, 1926, three miles east and 5.5 miles north of Orchard, to Theodore and Carrie (Noring) Meyer. He went to his heavenly home on May 29, 2023, at age 96 years, five months and five days, at Arbor Care Center in Neligh.

In March 1927, the Theodore Meyer family moved to one of the Mahood Bros. farms, twi miles west, one south and one-half mile west of Orchard. On July 22, 1928, Ted and Carrie were blessed when a daughter they named Arlene was born and on Dec. 15, 1930, they were blessed with another son they named Robert. All three were baptized at the same time, as youngsters, in the Inman United Methodist Church. James went eight years to the District 90 school and then four years to Orchard High School, graduating in 1944. He was confirmed as an adult at St. Peter Lutheran Church.

James served in the U. S. Army in 1945 and 1946. Most of his service time overseas was in General Douglas McArthur's public relations office in Tokyo Japan under the one star general Fran Baker.

Some of the other businesses operating in the Radio Tokyo Building were JOAK (a Japanese radio station), WVTR (the US Army radio station), Japanese Broadcasting Corp (which was in charge of the other Japanese radio stations), "The Stars and Stripes," the US Army newspaper, and a Japanese daily newspaper. The Allied war news correspondents had a room near his office.

James' official job was personnel and supply clerk, but that did not keep him very busy so he was a "jack-of-all trades." A lot of his time was assigned to make out travel papers and arrange transportation for Allied news correspondents. Often, James chaperoned them on their appointments because he spoke and understood the Japanese language, which he learned from radio announcer, Fuji-Kura. The chaperoning of correspondents gave him the opportunity to see a lot of different places and visit with a lot of Japanese people. He had many interesting experiences he recounted to his family.

When the war trial started up to prosecute Tojo and the other 27 major war criminals, James usually went out in the war ministry building to check the teletype machine weekly, and connected to PRO and Allied correspondents to report progress of trial without being there in person.

On June 18, 1950, James married Ardeth Marie Ruroede in St. Peter Lutheran Church outside Orchard. They were blessed with eight children. James spent most of his adult life farming in the Orchard area with his wife, Ardeth. After her death, he was married to his friend, Betty Shrader Gunter for a few years. James belonged to the VFW of Post 1151 Creighton and the Orchard Legion Club, and he was a member of the St. Peter Lutheran Church.

He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Ardeth ,; daughter, Kathleen Faye Fick; infant grandchildren: Marie Ann and Craig Jeffery Meyer; great-grandchildren: Noah James Fick and Piper Ann Foxhoven; father and mother-in-law George and Esther (Lieswald) Ruroede and friend, Betty Gunter.

James is survived by sister, Arlene Stevens, Parker, Colorado; brother, Robert Meyer, Orchard; sisters-in-law, Evelyn Peden, California and Arlene Engler, Grand Island; seven children: Cheryl (Randy) Watson, Malcolm; Brenda (Robert) Wood and Mark (Pamela) Meyer, Orchard; Rita (Chuck) Foxhoven, Norfolk; Lee (Rhonda) Meyer, Neligh; Dawn (Robert) Stamp, Lincoln and Carrie Meyer, Bow Valley; son-in-law, Edward Fick, Inman; grandchildren: Kimberly (Mike) Gordon, Timothy (Jennifer) Watson, Walter (Cecilia) Fick, Tara Fick, Preston (Sheena) Fick, Tammy (Joe) Jeffrey, Doug (Megan) Fick, Lance (Katie) Fick, Bethann (Kelly) Hibbs, Jennifer Eckmann, Jamie (Nathan) Kotschwar, Matthew Wood, Luke (Jessica) Wood, Ted (Christy) Meyer, Abe (Cindy) Meyer, Denise (Randy) Pilcher, Wesley (Teresa) Meyer, Joe (Kassie) Meyer, Keith (Sheila) Meyer, Bryan (Ranell) Foxhoven, Paul (Paloma) Foxhoven, Charles (Stacey) Foxhoven, Jay (Abby) Foxhoven, Marie (Darwin) Murillo, Karl (Medhanjali) Foxhoven, Eric (Jill) Meyer, Kendra (Adam) Mortensen, Chelsey (Kai) Kastrup, Misha Coleman and Stephanie Meyer; more than50 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.