James L. “Jim” Rohr, 78, of Buckhannon, W.Va. passed away peacefully on April 15, 2019 while surrounded by his family at his home in Buckhannon.
He was born March 9, 1941 in Upshur County and is the son of the late Guy and Maggie Osburn Rohr. Jim was also preceded in death by his wife Jo Ann Tallman Rohr and his brother Richard A. Rohr.
He is survived by his sister Janice and her husband Thom Dunning of Lakeview, N.C. and two brothers Martin L. Rohr and his wife Jean and Norman G. Rohr and his wife Joyce, both from Buckhannon, W.Va. Also surviving are two sons William Paul “Bill” Rohr and wife Kris of Buckhannon, W.Va.; James L. “Jimbo” Rohr II and wife Kimberly of French Creek, W.Va.; two daughters, Donna Rohr Martino and husband Gary of Bridgeport, W.Va. and Tammy Rohr Morningstar and husband Kenneth of Brandon, Fla. Nine grandchildren Heather, Ashley and John Burr; Sophia and Gianna Martino; Alexis and Nicholas Rutsis IV; Kelly Morningstar and Hunter Rohr. Seven great grandchildren Ariah and Jaiden Brown; Collin Rice; Presley, Ryder and Cash Tenney; Brantley Bell, several nieces and nephews and his beloved dog, Mitsy.
Jim graduated from Buckhannon-Upshur High School in 1960 then joined the Army where he served in the Vietnam War. He was proud to be a part of the 864th Engineer Battalion C Company.
Jim was a member of the National Cattleman’s Association, West Virginia Cattleman’s Association, Upshur County Livestock Association, American Angus Association, West Virginia Farm Bureau, the Upshur County Farm Bureau and a member of the Southern States Board of Directors.
Jim was a lifelong farmer and was known for setting an example of hard work, enterprise and initiative. As the owner of Circle J Angus and a partner in Rohr Valley Farms, he was often recognized by the American Angus Association as the largest Angus herd in the state.
Jim was a progressive breeder of Angus cattle, utilizing artificial insemination and embryo transfer to improve his herd and had previously exported cattle to Eastern Europe.
Jim’s passion for farming and expertise as a cattle breeder led him to participate in the Wardensville and Southern W.Va. Bull tests for nearly 20 years where he recently had the high indexing and record high selling bull.
In Jim’s professional career, he took great pride in his work as a general contractor where he specialized in construction and concrete work and supervised various commercial, road and flood control projects. He was President and joint owner of C & R Builders, Inc.
Jim was an exceptional mentor to many and will truly be missed by his family who will be forever grateful for his love and support.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU for the exceptional care from the doctors, nurses and staff from the Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, W.Va., the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in Pittsburgh, Pa., his caretakers and West Virginia Hospice in Buckhannon, W.Va.
Friends will be received Wednesday, April 17, 2019 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Poling-St. Clair Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev. Junior Harris officiating.
Burial will follow in the Heavner Cemetery in Buckhannon. The Upshur County Honor Guard will conduct Military Honors at the gravesite.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.polingstclair.com. Poling-St. Clair Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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