James A. Baumgartner
April 18, 1951 - May 10, 2008
Age: 57
City: South Bend, Indiana
James A. Baumgartner, 57, of South Bend, passed away at 2:48 a.m. on Saturday,
May 10, 2008, in Memorial Hospital, South Bend. Jim was born on April 18, 1951,
in Alexandria, Indiana, to the late Albert Henry Baumgartner and Betty (Trimble)
Baumgartner Harman. He had lived most of his life in South Bend, but spent several
years in both Warsaw and Bloomington, IN. He always considered Alexandria his
home. On August 5, 1972, in South Bend, he married the former Kathryn Rys, who
survives. Along with his wife Kathy, survivors include their son, Nicholas A.
Baumgartner of Muncie; two sisters, Nancy (Jim) McCaslin of South Bend and Deedie
(Chuck) Herndon of Frankfort, IN; and his late mother's husband, Eric Harman of
Warsaw. Jim was formerly employed at Indiana University at Bloomington and Indiana
University, South Bend, as coordinator of the Disabled Students Services Office.
While residing in Warsaw, he and Kathy owned and operated Baumgartner's Restaurant.
Jim was also the coordinator of volunteer services at the College Football Hall
of Fame for the past seven years. He was a member of the Clay Township Lions Club
and is a past district governor of District G. He was also a member of the Masonic
Lodge in Warsaw, Scottish Rite and Mizpah Shrine. He was a graduate of Indiana
University at Bloomington and a true Hoosier fan. Jim helped form and served as
president of the Kosciusko County Indiana University Alumni Association for which
he received the President's Award. He was an Alumni Association Life Member and
a member of the Varsity Club. A memorial service was held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday,
May 17, in the Palmer Funeral Home-River Park, 2528 Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend.
Friends visited with the family from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. Online condolences
may be sent to the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com. Contributions in memory
of James A. Baumgartner may be made to the Varsity Club at Indiana University,
Bloomington, or to the Centre Township Lions Eye Glass Mission.
Published in the South Bend Tribune on May 15, 2008
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